June 29, 2015

Newspaper of the Year

Ex-FUTA VC found dead in his store

Jonathan’s wife’s ex-security man killed

NEWS Page 59

NEWS

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•Indicted driver, security guard held

•Police begin probe of Abuja shooting

•Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper

VOL. 10, NO. 3260 MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

•www.thenationonlineng.net

TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

Knocks for CBN forex policy

Why Buhari won’t appoint ministers ‘in the next two months’ P RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari may not appoint ministers “in the next two months”, The Nation learnt at the weekend.

Three factors may account for the delay. They are: •the President’s plan to clear the “rot” inherited from the Goodluck Jonathan administration; •the crisis in the National Assembly over the choice of principal officers; and

From Yusuf Alli, Abuja

•the need to reduce ministries and parastatals.

But the reduction or merger of ministries or parastatals will, however, not lead to retrenchment of workers.

A Presidency source, who had a confidential briefing with some journalists in Abu-

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

B

USINESSMEN have rejected the recently-announced Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) foreign exchange (forex) policy.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said the CBN approach to the management of the foreign exchange market, especially the directive on the exclusion of 41 products, was worrisome.

LCCI President Remi Bello said yesterday that the directive, with its multidimensional implications, would result in major disruptions, dislocations and panic among investors.

He said many of the products on the list of the 41 are in-

ja, said the mess Buhari inherited was “sickening”.

The source said: “You cannot even begin to imagine the situation we have met on the ground. ”Almost everything is in a state of decay. There is absolutely no way the new government can hope to achieve anyContinued on page 4

N150.00

Continued on page 4

•President Buhari

•INSIDE: NDIC URGES TOUGHER SANCTIONS AGAINST ERRING BANK OFFICIALS P25

•Tourists and journalists take pictures of flowers placed at the site of a shooting in which 13 people were killed on the beach in front of the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Port el Kantaoui, Sousse, south of Tunis, Tunisia...yesterday. Right: Main suspect Amir Ben Hadj Hassine.

STORY ON PAGE 56

PHOTO: AFP

Senate crisis: Oyegun’s fate shaky as APC caucus meets

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WILL THE CHIBOK GIRLS EVER RETURN?

Akande laments effect of disagreement on party’s unity

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HIEF John Odigie-Oyegun’s political future is hanging in the balance.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman should step down, some forces within the party are pushing, ahead of tomorrow’s meeting of the National Caucus Committee.

Odigie-Oyegun’s offence, sources said at the weekend, is his perceived failure to nip in the bud the National

From Bello Imam, Abuja

Assembly crisis that has shaken the party so much.

Most of the APC governors, some members of the National Working Committee (NWC) and party elders are unhappy that Odigie-Oyegun allowed the “crisis to fester”.

They alleged that his “slow pace” attitude emboldened Senate President

Bukola Saraki and House Speaker Yakubu Dogara to “negotiate” with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.

The delay in sending the list of APC nominees for principal offices in the Senate and the House of Representatives has fuelled the anger against Odigie-Oyegun.

Party leaders are divided on whether to retain Odigie-Oyegun or dump

him.

A source, who briefed some reporters in Abuja on the situation in the party and the backlash of the crisis in the National Assembly, said there was apprehension in APC that if the chairman remained in office, it might collapse.

The source cited two instances where Odigie-Oyegun failed to be “deContinued on page 4

•NSE TO REVOKE 88 STOCKBROKERS’ LICENCES P26 BOKO HARAM KILLS 5 IN BORNO P58

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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NEWS The Federal Government’s regulation of the downstream sector of the oil & gas industry and non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) are scaring investors from grabbing the mouth-watering incentives introduced to attract investment in modular refineries. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports that the battle for deregulation, which is now gathering momentum, will encourage investors to build refineries and sell products at competitive market prices.

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F assurances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) are anything to go by, the Port Harcourt refinery will resume operation next month. The Corporation, through its former Group Managing Director (GMD), Joseph Dawha, said the four refineries will operate up to 80 per cent of their installed capacities, translating to five million litres of petrol per day.

Based on the revised Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) strategy for the refineries, Dahwa also said that Warri and Kaduna refineries will be revamped and become operational within the next 18 months.

With all plants producing at nameplate capacities, a significant improvement is expected on domestic refining and a drastic reduction on importation of refined products.

But, if Dahwa felt his assurances would gladden the hearts of Nigerians and restore their confidence in NNPC’s management of the nation’s oil and gas resources, particularly the refineries, he got it all wrong.

•Director, Banking & Payments System Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Dipo Fatokun cutting the tape to President Muhammadu Buhari, kick-off the CBN Cashless Card Expo at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos. With him are: Managing Director, Heritage Banking who has not hidden his administraCompany Limited, Mr. Ifie Sekibo (left); Managing Director, SecureID Limited, Mrs Kofo Akinkugbe and Managing tion’s resolve to beam a searchlight on Director, Intermac Consulting, Mr. Adeyinka Adeyemi. the operations of the NNPC, sacked the corporation’s 10-member board last weekend.

The NNPC has been under attacks over perceived sharp practices in the running of refineries and the management of revenues from crude oil sales and swaps.

Not a few Nigerians, including industry operators, experts and stakeholders, saw the NNPC’s sudden assurances as medicine after death.

And they have every reason for such skepticism.

For instance, none of the four stateowned refineries has witnessed significant improvement in capacity utilisation despite the several billions of the tax payers’ money spent on yearly Turn Around Maintenance (TAM).

Even, the five million litres daily production expected from the Port Harcourt refinery from next month, will be a drop in the ocean. On the average, Nigerians consume about 40 •From left: Project Director, Badagry Ship Repair Marine Engineering Consortium (BSMEC), Mr. Laolu Saraki; Consortium million litres of petrol daily. So, if all Chairman, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi; Managing Director, Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Mr. Babs Omotowa; Director, the four refineries - Port Harcourt BSMEC, Mr. Paul Jegede; Deputy Managing Director, NLNG, Alhaji Isa Mohammed Inuwa and Executive Director, BSMEC, (two), Kaduna and Warri- produce 80 Mr. John Esiegbuya when the BSMEC management team visited NLNG. per cent of their nameplate capacities, it will translate to five million litres from each of the refineries. All four will produce 15 million litres, leaving a shortfall of 25 million litres and a farcry for local consumption demands.

Impliedly, the much-needed succour may not come for Nigerians, who have been battling with acute fuel shortage since the beginning of the year. Yet, the problem is not limited to petrol alone. In all, the two refineries in Port Harcourt have a combined refining capacity of 210,000 barrels per day (bpd). The other two in Kaduna and Warri have installed capacities of 110,000 bpd and 125,000 bpd respectively.

All added, the four refineries have a refining capacity of 445,000 bpd. But the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) says that Nigeria has capacity to produce 30,400 barrels per of gasoline, 15,800 bpd of kerosene, 18,400 bpd of distillates and •Auditor-General of the Federation, Samuel Ukura (second right), Senior Manager, Performance Audit Africa Organisation of 20,700 bpd of residuals.

English-speaking Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI), Lars Florin ( second left), Lead Facilitator, Lawrence Ayigiba ( l e f t ) The oil cartel put the country’s outand a participant, Muheise Dennys at the Performance Audit Graduation in Abuja...at the weekend. put of petroleum products by country PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE •Former American President and Co-Founder, Inclusive Capitalism Coalition/Member, Board of Tony Elumelu Foundation; Mr. Bill Clinton (second left); Chief Executive Officer (CEO), E.L. Rothschild, Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild (left), Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony O. Elumelu (middle); Chairman/CEO, PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi (second right) and Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, PepsiCo, Tony West before Elumelu's panel discussion at the Inclusive Capitalism Conference in London...at the weekend.

at 89,000 bpd, which is a far-cry from 445,000 bpd.

Experts blame the embarrassing scenario on mismanagement of the refineries.

Modular refineries to the rescue The stakeholders and the authorities in the oil and gas industry have proposed the establishment of modular refineries as the quickest way to halt declining efficiency and productivity of the existing refineries. They believe such facilities will boost local refining capacity.

Modular refineries are crude processing facilities with narrow product line, limited to kerosene, diesel and low pour fuel oil (LFPO) with a production capacity of between one to 30,000 barrels per day or bigger. They have a completion period of between 18 – 24 months.

Promoters of modular refineries believe the option will address the recurrent and embarrassing fuel scarcity within a short time and at rock-bottom costs.

Looking at it from the investment angle, experts agree that investing in, and construction of refineries is capital intensive, and that mini/modular refineries are cheaper and easier to build.

According to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria’s oil and gas industry regulator, an investor requires between $1 million to $15 million to build a modular refinery.

Stakeholders identified flexibility as another attraction as investors can build refineries that are relatively inexpensive, in multiple locations as and where demand is required.

Besides, modular units can be expanded, thereby providing a cost-efficient and highly flexible means of delivering ‘on the spot’ refining capacity, either to remote geographical locations, or to regions requiring the benefits of locally processed oil products to meet increasing operational and local demand.

This was what the 20, 000bpd modular refinery in Rivers State, Southsouth set out to achieve. The project, with an initial cost of $480 million and a 12-month completion period, is to be handled by an international consortium comprising the National Standard Finance of the United States (U.S.) and Omega-Butler Refineries of the United Kingdom (UK).

Apart from producing petrol, diesel and gas, it will also produce bitumen. The Rivers State government will provide 40 hectares of land for the project, that has a capacity to generate 1,500 jobs.

Experts speak The job creation potential of modular refineries is not lost on the Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander, MajGen Emmanuel Atewe, who believes that modular refinery will improve fuel supply, create jobs and grow the economy.

Gen. Atewe told The Nation that if modular refineries were working, scarcity and distribution glitches would become a thing of the past.

He said: “I think the country needs modular refineries to refine crude oil.

By this, I mean refineries with smaller capacities. When we have modular refineries, they will help in refining thou-

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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NEWS

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The process of producing crude oil or refined products is the same everywhere in the world; it is the same equipment. So, if you put in the same feed stock, what you will get at the end will be the same price.

‘ Refineries: How price regulation, PIB clip investors’ wings

•A section of Warri Refinery

sands of barrels of crude oil and the economy will be better for it. Besides reducing the perennial fuel scarcity, it will also provide jobs for people.”

According to the JTF Commander, with gainful employment for the restive Diger Delta youths, they will no longer engage in pipeline vandalism and oil theft.

“Even, if they are going to commit such crimes, the rate at which they do so would not be high. Job creation is one way of reducing restiveness in the Niger Delta. I’m advising stakeholders

to come together and see how they can build modular refineries and further provide multiplier effects on the economy,” he said.

The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Business Development (IBD), Mr. Paul Ikele, was on the same page with the JTF chief. He described modular refineries as a sustainable option that will boost products supply across the country and also resolve the subsidy controversy.

He said the granting of franchise to investors to build and operate modu-

lar refineries with newer technologies, will end the raging controversy over whether or not to remove subsidy.

“If petroleum products are available to Nigerians on sustainable basis, the issue of payment of subsidy would not arise,” the IBD manager said. He pointed out that the technologies used in building the existing refineries were obsolete and demanding so much in maintenance.

He said the country cannot cope with such huge resources on TAM in the face of the prevailing global eco-

nomic downturn, occasioned by tumbling oil prices.

“Let’s look at modular or mini-refineries with newer technologies that can assist existing refineries whose maintenance demand so much due to obsolete technology,” he recommended.

Government’s take The government has not lost sight of the benefits of modular refineries.

At a recent conference on Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), organised by the DPR, the former Petroleum

Resources Minister, Mrs. Dizeani Alison-Madueke, gave a hint of a plan to scrutinise and franchise aspiring operators to install and operate modular refineries.

She said the government believed the short project cycle, low cost and flexibility for the establishment of modular refineries will stimulate investors’ interest in local oil production and minimise oil theft and operation of artisanal (illegal) refineries.

•Continued on page 42

Akande offers tips out of APC crisis F

ORMER Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande has offered some tips on how the ruling party can surmount its internal crisis.

In a statement, Chief Akande blamed the crisis on those he called, some Northern elite, drug barons, anti-democratic forces and other elements who are afraid of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti- corruption posture.

He said the party must reposition for it to offer Nigerians the change it promised.

The statement reads: “Some times in 2013, the Action Congress OF Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) resolved to merge and set up a merger committee to work out the modality for glueing together as one political party under one name, one constitution and one manifesto.

“A splinter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) sought to be included in the merger. An application made to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to this end by All Progressives Congress (APC) National Interim Committee, composed of ACN, ANPP, CPC, and factions of APGA and Democratic People’s Party (DPP) was approved in July, 2013.

“Between Bola Ahmed Tinubu (an ACN leader) and Kashim Imam (a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader), the idea came up and was adopted that the new party should embark on a membership recruitment drive to certain PDP governors, whose main agenda was to see President Goodluck Jonathan out of power.

“The recruitment efforts took APC leaders to Rivers, Kwara, Niger, Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa and Adamawa states. Eventually, five PDP governors of Sokoto, Kano, Adamawa, Kwara and Rivers, together with the majority of their PDP National and State Assemblies members and other PDP National Assembly members from Gombe, Bauchi and Nasarawa, under the banner of the

new-PDP, joined the APC. “The APC thereafter organised membership registrations in all the over 120,000 polling units and followed up by using these registered members to conduct congresses in all the almost 8000 wards, in over 770 local governments, in all the 36 states (including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and a convention at the National level, thereby creating one united APC party structure all over Nigeria.

“With this air of oneness, APC went ahead to conduct primaries to select candidates for state governors and Houses of Assembly and for the presidency and the National Assemblies.

“After the elections, which saw the APC to victory all round, a meeting was reported to have been held by certain old and new-PDP leaders in Alhaji Kawu Baraje’s house at Abuja to review what should be their share in this new Buhari’s government and resolved to seek collaboration with the PDP with a view to hijacking the National Assembly and, having got rid of Goodluck Jonathan, with an ultimate aim of resuscitating the PDP as their future political platform.

“Unknown to most APC members, while Senator Bukola Saraki was being adopted as the candidate for Senate President by certain old and new-PDP tendencies, the theory was being propagated that, like in most presidential democracies, the APC minority leaders in the old National Assembly (i.e. George Akume for the Senate and Femi Gbajabiamila for the House of Representatives) should automatically become Senate President and Speaker respectively, now that APC has the majority.

“Certain leaders felt that most past Senate presidents had come from Benue State, which Akume represented and that Benue State should be made to assume the traditional home of all senate presidents.

“At the same time certain, senators were clamouring for one of the most ranking sena-

tors anywhere outside the Northwest zone that produced the President. That was how Ahmed Lawan, who has been in the House of Representatives for eight years and in the senate for another eight years emerged as the candidate for the senate president.

“Democrats among the APC leadership insisted on selection by mock elections, rather than tribal or sectional considerations. As a result of primary elections, Ahmed Lawan and George Akume emerged as APC candidate for Senate President and Deputy respectively while Femi Gbajabiamila and Mohammed Monguno emerged as the Speaker and Deputy for the House of Representatives.

“Numerous among those calling themselves businessmen in Nigeria are like leaches, sucking from the nation’s blood largely through various governments and particularly through the Nigerian Federal Government. While all these schisms were going on in the APC, those who were jittery of Buhari’s constant threat of anti-corruption’s battle began to encourage and finance rebellions against the APC democratic positions which led to the emergence of Senator Saraki as the candidate of the PDP tendencies inside and outside APC. “Before the party knew it, the process had been hijacked by polluted interests who saw the inordinate contests as a loop-hole for stifling APC governments’ efforts in its desire to fight corruption.

“Most Northern elite, the Nigerian oil subsidy barons and other business cartels, who never liked Buhari’s anti-corruption political stance, are quickly backing-up the rebellion against APC with strong support. While other position seekers are waiting in the wings until Buhari’s ministers are announced, a large section of the Southwest see the rebellion as a conspiracy of the North against the Yoruba.

“What began as political patronages to be shared into APC membership-spreads among

•Chief Akande

ethnic zones, religious faiths and political rankings and experiences have now become so complicated that the sharing has to be done by and among PDP leadership together with cohorts of former new-PDP affiliations in the APC, by and among gangs of past anti-Buhari’s Presidency, and certain APC legislators and party members who dance round the crisis arena to pick some crumbs.

“Now that the whole conspiracy has blown open, it is doubtful if the present institutions of party leadership can muster the required capacity to arrest the drift. It is my opinion that President Buhari, and the APC governors should now see APC as a recking platform that may not be strong enough again to carry them to political victory in 2019 and they should quickly begin a joint damage control effort to reconstruct the party in its claim to bring about the promised change before the party’s shortcomings begin to aggravate the challenges of governance in their hands.”

•Bisi Akande is APC’s former Interim National Chairman

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

NEWS Knocks for CBN forex policy Continued from page 1

•Senator Oluremi Tinubu (third right) with some of the beneficiaries of her scholarship awards displaying their cheques at her Constituency office, Yaba, Lagos.

termediate goods, which are critical inputs for many manufacturing firms and other critical sectors of the economy.

“This development will put several investments at risk with implications for job losses, quality of loan assets in the banking system and the welfare of citizens,” he said.

He listed some of the goods as iron rods, Cold Rolled sheets, wire rods, reinforcing Bars, Polypropylene granules, glass and glass ware.

Construction, real estate, fabrications, housing, etc will be adversely affected, he added.

He said: “A painstaking gap analysis to determine the domestic capacity for production vis a vis the demand should have preceded the policy decision by the CBN. “The list is prone to multiContinued on page 58

Senate crisis: Oyegun’s fate shaky as APC caucus meets

Dogara: why APC’s directive on officers was rejected

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OUSE of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara said yesterday that a court matter and the need to uphold federal character prevented him from yielding to the directive of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the selection of principal officers.

Dogara’s move to shun his party’s directive led to a fracas on the floor of the House last Thursday. This prevented him from announcing the names of principal officers.

Yesterday, the speaker said a court process by some aggrieved lawmakers and the constitutional provision on federal character created the difficulty he found himself in.

He accepted responsibility

From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

for the incident, promising that a lasting solution would be proffered before resumption from the four-week recess to the satisfaction of all parties and Nigerians.

Dogara spoke when he received the Forum of Former Members in his office.

“There was a court process served on the leadership of the House. What they are alleging is very simple: whether it is in accordance with the constitution of Nigeria and the House rules that a political party has the right to choose the principal officers of the House.

“The second question is: assuming the political party has the right, whether it is in tan-

dem with the constitution to exclude their zone, whether that meets the requirement of the provision of the federal character.

“There are issues of law, issues relating to court, issues relating to the provisions of the Constitution.

“Now the precedent that we saw not too long in the House is that anytime we have such audacious report, we have always run away from trying to force that.

“By this, let me just explain: assuming we go ahead to announce the party’s position, which recognises members of the Northcentral as principal officers position and most of the members from the Southwest as principal officers and

then the Northcentral members made a very strong allegation against the APC. “Assuming they win the case and the court rules that that the directive of the party breaches the provision of the constitution relating to federal character, so do we now begin to see somebody vacating his principal official position so that we can accommodate the court’s ruling?

“So these are issues that are really not easy to fathom or to sort. When we got this letter, we raised this issue with the party, that there is the need for us to look at it so that we don’t get a ruling that will compel us to go back and enforce the alignment.

Continued on page 58

Why Buhari won’t appoint ministers ‘in the next two months’ Continued from page 1

thing long-lasting without first building a new foundation.”

The source said President Buhari’s plan of action could be compared to that of “a doctor who first has to break a poorly set bone afresh, before resetting it to allow for smooth and proper growth”.

On the National Assembly crisis, the source said it was “yet one more excuse why forming a cabinet will be impossible until further notice”.

He added: “Look at how they are fighting among themselves.

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“The Senate has now adjourned till July 21. That means no one to scrutinize or approve any ministerial list until the end of July.”

When told that the National Assembly said it was ready to cut short its break to consider any request from the President, the source asked the reporters to await the President’s “long-awaited” intervention in the crisis between the party and the National Assembly. ”The President wants to walk his talk on stable politics and being a leader for all. He has a plan for the National Assembly.”

The source debunked the insinuations that the delay in appointing ministers had stalled the government.

He said civil servants had been “supervising the day-today running of ministries and that permanent secretaries of the various ministries have access to the President”.

He added: “All these reports and agitations are being fuelled by politicians who want to put pressure on the President.

“They have tried doing it other ways and those haven’t worked. Now, they are trying to use the media. They only

want their cronies appointed to ministerial posts anyhow and they are fuelling the agitation through newspapers.”

He advised the media not to fall for the “old tricks and shenanigans” of politicians.

Buhari is set to reduce or merge some ministries and parastatals to make the size of the civil service manageable for efficiency.

The exercise will, however, not lead to retrenchment of workers.

The source added: “The President plans to cut down the number of ministries and Continued on page 58

Continued from page 1

cisive” on the choice of principal officers in the National Assembly.

The source alleged that the chairman was virtually forced to hold the mock elections that elected Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the party’s choices for Senate President and House Speaker.

It also took the intervention of the APC governors before he could send the list of party nominees for some principal posts to Saraki and Dogara.

The source added: “There is much anger in the party against Oyegun. Many leaders have accused him of being indecisive or afraid to take the right decision.

“It is as if the man has no backbone or self-respect.

When he should move, he sits down. When he should talk, he is mute. When he should make a decision, he sleeps and after finally making a decision, he takes days to implement something that could be done in minutes.

“After Saraki and Dogara Continued on page 58

Buhari: we’ll end terror attacks

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RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari pledged yesterday to end terrorism as he condemned the latest terrorist attacks on Borno and Yobe communities by Boko Haram.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Malam Garba Shehu, the President said he was deeply touched by the mindless incidents of violence on innocent people during the month of Ramadan.

He insisted that the terrorists are enemies of everybody, and enemies of humanity everywhere.

Stressing that terrorists don’t represent any religion, he said no sane people who believe in any god would destroy the lives of innocent people in cold blood.

The pattern of their indiscriminate violence against innocent people, he said, showed that they

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

represent nothing else but anarchy and devilry.

The statement said: "In what appears to be one of his toughest expressions of outrage, President Buhari reminded the terrorists of his uncompromising resolve to tackle them with all the resources at the disposal of his government.

“Make no mistake about it: this government is ever determined to discharge its fundamental duty of protecting the lives of its citizens from physical threats from any groups bent on creating chaos, confusion, and on destroying social and economic life of the people”, he warned.

President Buhari, who extended his sympathy to the families of the victims, also reassured all Nigerians that his government would never tolerate terrorist Continued on page 58

It’ll take time to clear Jonathan’s mess, says Presidency

HE Presidency said last night that it will take time to clear the mess created by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, contrary to the call by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Nigerians need to pray for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

PDP National Publicity Secretary Olisah Metuh made the call in his 30-day appraisal of the Buhari administration.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a statement, said Nigerians were already on the side of the administration, which he noted was on course.

“It requires scrupulous and painstaking planning to clean the PDP’s Augean Stable,” Adesina said, adding: “It is amusing to read what

•PDP urges Nigerians to pray for govt From Gbade Ogunwale and Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

the National Publicity Secretary of the defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, considers a 30 days appraisal of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

“He wants Nigerians to join hands in prayers for the government, so that things would begin to move. What he does not know is that Nigerians had long formed such coalition.

They are hands in hands, and that was what gave victory to President Buhari in the March 28, 2015 poll.

“They had teamed up to uproot an administration that had brought the country to her knees, and was about to tip her

off the precipice. And Nigerians have resolved that never would they allow any government to divide them along regional, religious and ethnic fault lines again.

“The Buhari administration is naturally contemplative because there was absolutely no rhyme or reason to the way PDP ran the country, particularly in the immediate past dispensation. That is why the Augean Stable is being cleaned now, and it requires scrupulous and painstaking planning.”

Stressing that national life was devalued across all sectors under PDP, Adesina said: “And it takes meticulousness and sure-footedness to repair all the breaches. This, the Buhari administration will deliv-

er.

“Metuh talks of people around the President conniving with bureaucrats to syphon money from the treasury. This must be deja vu, as it was the pastime of the immediate past administration, and the enormity of the sleaze will be evident when stolen money, to the tune of billions of dollars, is recovered, and returned to the national treasury soon.”

He said that only time will offer Nigerians the opportunity to compare the current administration with the past in order to know which one has come to serve the people.

He said: “In the process of time, after all that is being planned by the current admin-

istration has matured, and bearing fruits, Nigerians will be able to determine who is serving them acceptably, and who has taken them for a ride.

It is just a matter of time.

“Meanwhile, Metuh and his masters can only rue the missed opportunities to make salutary impact on the lives of Nigerians. They have a long road of regrets to travel.”

A statement yesterday by Metuh noted that the enormity of the confusion surrounding the government and the ruling party in the last one month had made it imperative for Nigerians to pray as the success or failure of the Buhari administration would not only affect the President and his party but also the entire nation.

The statement said: “We urge Nigerians to join hands in prayers and offer useful sug-

gestions to President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC because with what we have seen in the last 30 days, the present administration is finding it very difficult to get its bearings right while showing no inclination towards implementing its numerous campaign promises for which they were voted into office at the centre. ”We are deeply worried that the President, who promised to unveil his cabinet two weeks after his inauguration, has not been able to decide on key appointments, such as ministers, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief of Staff and advisers in key secContinued on page 58

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NEWS

Dogara: Buhari needs prayers to succeed

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OUSE of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders need the prayers of all Nigerians to succeed.

Dogara spoke when he attended a Thanksgiving Service at the Winners Chapel, Durumi, Abuja.

According to the Speaker, because the challenges before the present leaders are not ordinary, it requires extra-ordinary prayers to overcome them.

Dogara said: “I want to plead that the problems we have now in the country are not conventional, so conventional wisdom cannot solve them. We need divine wisodm.

“Without prayers there is no way we can succeed. So I urge that we offer prayers and supplication for all the leaders beginning from the President to the least person in authority.”

According to the Speaker,

Denmark pledges support for agriculture development

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‘

Without prayers there is no way we can succeed. So I urge that we offer prayers and supplication for all the leaders beginning from the President to the least person in authority From Victor Oluwasegun and Dele Anofi, Abuja

the reason leaders need prayers is “so that we can embrace this wisdom that comes from God and apply those tools that we can fashion out by means of this wisdom in bringing solution to the problems that are no longer conventional.

The Speaker said he had been a product of grace and never had to struggle for anything in his life.

Dogara said ever since he encountered God before his university days, he never lacked any good thing.

“Ever since I met God through this commission at a tender age, I have not had to struggle for anything in life.

“I never had any reason to

’

struggle nor lack any good thing in my life.’’

While acknowledging God as his source, the Speaker urged Nigerians to keep praying for leaders, saying without prayers, nothing could be achieved.

He said conventional problems do not need conventional wisdom but divine wisdom, stressing that “Nigeria needs God’s blessings at all times.

“The nation needs steadfast leaders who will do the will of God, not theirs.

“We need your prayers, we can’t do it alone.’’

Pastor John Adelekan, the Senior Pastor of the church, urged the congregation to keep praying for leaders in the country, adding that this was the right thing to do.

•Dogara

He said: “Service to God pays, as it is the easiest way to experience unending blessings from Him.’’ The pastor said service to God also opened the doors of favour when a man’s way pleased God, as He would make ones enemies to be at peace with him.

Pastor Adelekun, while preaching read scriptures from the book of Matthew 6:33, Malachi 3:l7, Ephesians 6:18 among other verses, called on the worshippers to serve God and tap into His blessings.

According to him, those who serve God are doing themselves favour by doing so and do not beg to be lifted.

I

From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

relatively a recent phenomenon compared with the Indian film industry but there is scope for both of us to develop concepts from each other,’’ he said.

He called for more training for the operators of Nigeria’s film industry adding that the Federal Government should create an environment

conducive for proper funding of the industry.

Ghanashyam said such efforts could include making access to loans for film makers to be easier.

He said: “In our own case, the government made the Bollywood industry to be an industry; they can raise a bank loan for making a movie.

“Initially accessing loans

was not possible for film makers, they were dependent on anybody who was willing to give them the money but that has changed.”

Ghanashyam said with good funding the quality of films would improve, a development he said, would have a multiplier effect not only on the industry but the entire economy.

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HE National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the weekend, said illicit drugs and cannibis destroyed in 2014 was worth N542 billion.

The illicit drug seized weighed 106,897.18 kilogrammes.

The agency also disclosed that 8,826, comprising 8,322

4,940 Nigerians studying in India, says High Commissioner

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HE Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria, Amb. Ajjampur Ghanashyam, has said that there were 4,940 Nigerian students studying in India while 27,890 Nigerians graduated from Indian institutions.

He spoke yesterday in Abuja while featuring on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum.

Ghanashyam said the huge number of Nigerian students in India was a testimony to the good diplomatic relation-

ship between the two countries which, he said dates back to pre-colonial era.

He said as developing countries with huge population it was important for Nigeria and India to maintain close ties with a view to sharing experience that would benefit the wellbeing of their peoples.

Ghanashyam said there were 200 Indian companies in manufacturing, servicing and retail businesses in Nigeria, adding that 36 of them were into pharmaceutical prod-

ucts.

On agriculture, he advised Nigerian farmers to embrace integrated farming to avoid losses that occasionally accompany farming single crops, pointing out that this had been the practice among Indian farmers.

He said India was ready to share its experiences with Nigeria in the agricultural and industrial sectors as part of its contributions to boost Nigeria’s economy.

On the automobile industry, the envoy urged Nigerian

tration would be doing in developing Nigeria’s agriculture sector.

“We want to see what the new administration wants to develop;we are ready to act a lot on what is vicious for Nigeria to develop,’’ he said.

The Danish representative to Nigeria, said that his government would be interested in the development of fish farming, dairy and pork value chain in Nigeria.

Erikstrup said that there were currently “a handful of Danish companies” dealing in food and dairy.

The minister said if the new administration would create the enabling environment, more of Danish companies would come to Nigeria.

“If the new administration in Nigeria would provide a reliable strategy for investors, more Danish companies would definitely want to come and invest in Nigeria.

“Investors, as we know, are always looking for places with high profits, stability, steady power supply, and other infrastructure,’’ he said.

NDLEA destroyed illicit drugs worth N542b in 2014

India ready to partner Nigeria NDIAN High Commissioner to Nigeria Ajjampur Ghanashyam yesterday said India was ready to partner Nigeria to develop its film industry.

Ghanashyam, who spoke in Abuja, added that Nigeria’s film industry had the potential to contribute more to the nation’s economy. “`Nollywood may be

ENMARK on Sunday pledged its readiness to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in the development of the nation’s agriculture sector.

Mr Jacob Erikstrup, Minister Counsellor of the Royal Danish Consulate-General in Lagos, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that his government would want to see the administration’s intended areas of cooperation with Denmark in the years ahead.

The minister said that as much as his government was ready to support Nigeria in developing its agriculture sector, the final decision would still have to come from Nigeria.

“The Danish government is very ready to support the new administration in Nigeria in the development of the agriculture sector.

“We had been studying former president Jonathan’s agriculture transformation agenda.

“Now, we will be excited to see what this new adminis-

entrepreneurs to prioritise the manufacture of component parts, saying it would be difficult for them to compete with ‘big players’ in motor vehicle manufacturing.

Ghanashyam said this was the approach Indian entrepreneurs adopted before going into full scale motor manufacturing.

“Even, as at today, our greatest strength in the automobile industry is in the making of the components.

“Do your research very well; ensure quality; even if

you want to go into motor vehicle manufacturing, manufacture the cheapest ones, start with cheap cars”, he advised.

On the alleged harassment of Nigerians resident in India the envoy said the Indian people have no problems with law-abiding Nigerians.

He, however, blamed the few cases of harassment to media reports, saying that negative actions spread wider than positive ones.

The high commissioner said it was time the media gave more publicity to the positive things Nigerians in India were doing and expressed optimism that with time things would change for the better.

From Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

males and 494 females were arrested or questioned under the period in review.

Chairman of the agency, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, spoke in Abuja at the launch of National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2015-2019.

The master plan was done in collaboration with United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) and funded by the European Union.

Giade said: “This huge amount is mind blowing and has the capacity to derail the most credible election. Such proceeds can either be used to subvert the wishes of the electorates or instigate upheavals. We shall therefore continue to financially incapacitate and dislodge drug cartels.

“In Nigeria, we have fought very hard to eradicate illicit drugs from our society.

The agency recorded unprecedented success in cannabis farm destruction. A total of 4409.15 hectares of farmland representing 53,719, 342.32 kilogrammes of cannabis were destroyed and prevented from causing untold harm to Nigerians.”

‘How to tackle underdevelopment’ •From left: Former Minister of Petroleum Odein Ajegomobia, former CBN Governor Prof.

Charles Soludo and former EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu discussing at the sidelines of Natural Resource Governance Institute conference on "Falling Prices, Rising Risk" at St Catherine College, Oxford ... on Thursday.

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HE need to fight corruption and materialism by Africans has been emphasised as the only solution to tackle the underdevelopment being encountered by many African countries.

A political scientist, Dr. Olufemi Badru of the department of Politics and International Relations of Lead City University, Ibadan spoke at a discussion programme tagged “Rhythm of the Black Race,” held at the Arts Theatre of the University of Ibadan.

While presenting a paper titled:”Africa and the Burden of Underdevelopment: Philosophical Diagnosis and Prognosis,” Dr. Badru stated that Africans must collectively and conscientiously determine to fight the systemic corruption that has eaten

deep into the system of many Africans.

He added that Africans must eschew bad values, such as high- level of materialism, exploitative interaction, social irresponsibility, among other things, adding that they must embrace desirable values such as altruism, fellow-feeling, social responsibility, which, he said, were largely lost in Africa.

“Intellectuals in Africa must be more committed to Intellectual Social Responsibility, that is, the duty of intellectuals to consign and confine their intellectual resources to the resolution of socio-political problems that beset their societies. Western thinkers did these and succeeded in transforming Europe during the Renaissance and the enlightenment periods,” he said.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

NEWS NANS mourns OOU students

Amosun mourns OOU 12

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GUN State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun has commiserated with the management of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, on the loss of 12 students who died in an auto crash last Friday on the Lagos/Benin Express way.

The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga , led a delegation to the Governing Council.

Mrs Onanuga said: ‘’It is sad that the students died in their prime, at a time the country needs the younger generation to contribute their knowledge towards the growth of the society.’’

She prayed to God to grant their families the fortitude to bear the losses. The deputy governor read a riot act to motorists driving recklessly on the road, adding that the government would sanction any motorist caught driving against traffic.

She urged the public to intimate government on any erring drivers and pleaded with the students to remain calm as they mourn their colleagues.

Mrs Onanuga also led the delegation to visit the only survivor of the accident, Miss Akinbo Laughter

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•The Ogun State Deputy Governor Chief (Mrs.) Yetunde Onanuga (first left) Ogun SSG Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa (in the middle) the Vice Chancellor Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. Professor Saburi Adesanya (first right) during a condolence visit paid to the institution on the death of eleven OOU students by the Ogun State Government.

Ibukunoluwa at the Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilishan Remo and expressed satisfaction on her health. She thanked the management of the hospital for

the prompt attention to her medical needs.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Saburi Adesanya, thanked the Amosun-led administration for sympathising with

the management and families of the bereaved.

A truck carrying a container drove against traffic last Friday and ran into a Toyota Hiace bus in which

the students were travelling to Lagos. The container fell on the bus and killed 12 of the passengers, including the driver.

Fed Govt must end impunity, says Amnesty

‘

No military is beyond scrutiny. All we ask is that the government of Nigeria does what is right, and what it is bound to do under international law, and delivers justice to the thousands of victims of this conflict.

’

•Buhari

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mnesty International has said the Federal Government can end impunity by investigating and dealing with all cases of human rights abuses.

AI, in a statement by its Africa Director – Research and Advocacy, Netsanet Belay, said President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to ending impunity.

The statement reads: “Observing the public debate following the publication of Amnesty International’s recent report on war crimes committed by the military I am reminded of the words of Wole Soyinka: “Power is transient, justice eternal”.

“Since we came back from Abuja, I have noted the positive commitment from the President as well as the usual dismissive response from the military. I have heard from Nigerians from all walks of life.

“Time will tell whether truth and justice will prevail in Nigeria. But let me set the records straight to clarify some emerging misconceptions.

“Amnesty has documented and condemned in the strongest terms the

atrocities committed by Boko Haram and we will continue to do so.

“As recently as April 14, 2015, the first anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok school girls, we published a comprehensive report, ‘Our job is to shoot, slaughter and kill’ documenting and condemning the horrific crimes of Boko Haram in the Northeast of the country.

“The April report showed that in addition to abducting at least 2,000 women and girls, Boko Haram had killed at least 5,500 civilians and brutalized tens of thousands between 2014 and March 2015.

“And this report was not the first. My team have been on the ground documenting and exposing multiple war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights abuses committed by Boko Haram since the start of the crisis. These findings were published in Amnesty International reports in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

And each time, we have called for justice for the victims of Boko Haram.

“But we have also documented serious human rights violations perpetrated by the military in the course of the fight against Boko Haram.

“In our sister report to the report about Boko Haram atrocities, ‘Stars on their Shoulders. Blood on their Hands’ we documented war

crimes and crimes against humanity by the military.

“What Amnesty International uncovered in Nigeria was not a handful of civilian casualties caught in the cross-fire. It was evidence of a systematic process whereby more than 7,000 mainly young Nigerian men and boys died in military detention and more than 1,200 people were unlawfully killed. The vast majority of those unlawfully murdered were non-combatants, most killed following arbitrary arrests.

“These are Nigerian fathers, sons and brothers.

They are the missing husbands of the women interviewed by Amnesty International who cannot afford to feed their children or send them to school since their husbands disappeared.

They are the sons of the parents who have spent the past year visiting every barracks, police station and jail they can reach to search for their missing children.

“As an independent, impartial organisation, dedicated to documenting and exposing the most serious human rights violations wherever they are committed and whoever they are perpetrated by, Amnesty International is speaking out about these violations, and with a clear purpose.

“We are asking what happened to the thousands of young men arrested without

any evidence against them and who have never been brought to court.

“We are demanding justice for the people trapped by the cycle of violence and impunity, perpetrated by both Boko Haram and the very military that is supposed to protect them “The horrific acts committed by Boko Haram must end and perpetrators of crimes under international law in its ranks must be punished. But their horrific acts cannot and should not be used to justify the Nigerian military’s unlawful conduct and human rights violations. The military cannot tackle war crimes by committing war crimes.

Safety and security cannot be delivered by executing, torturing and ill-treating thousands of people.

“The findings of this recent report resulted from years of detailed research including more than 400 interviews and the analysis of 90 videos and 800 official documents. We travelled repeatedly to the Northeast, gathering information and interviewing witnesses, victims and the families.

People told us how they had been rounded-up with hundreds of other young men and boys after cordon searches and held in overcrowded cells. Many were starved, suffocated, and tortured to death.

“We also spoke to other

witnesses who are themselves senior members of the security forces, but who felt that these abhorrent practices within the military must be stamped out.

“We shared our findings with various sections of the Nigerian government. Since 2013, we have sent 57 letters to the federal and state authorities: sharing research findings, raising concerns about ongoing violations and requesting information and specific action, such as investigations. We only received 13 responses, none of which demonstrated the previous government’s commitment to launching an independent, impartial and effective investigation into these serious crimes.

Where investigations were launched they were conducted by the military and the conclusions have never been published.

“The Nigerian government has had repeated opportunities to confront and investigate these allegations but, despite mounting evidence, they have failed to do so.

“President Buhari has stated that his government will leave no stone unturned to investigate and deal with all cases of human rights abuses. We join millions of Nigerians in welcoming this commitment.

“We hope that this will be the beginning of the end of impunity in Nigeria and that it will bring hope to those desperate to find out what has happened to their loved ones.

“No military is beyond scrutiny. All we ask is that the government of Nigeria does what is right, and what it is bound to do under international law, and delivers justice to the thousands of victims of this conflict.

“The time to act is now.”

HE National Secretariat, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday commiserated with the Olabisi Olabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye over the death of 12 students in an auto crash on Friday.

The NANS's statement reads: "Words seem inadequate to express the sadness we feel about the students that died. On behalf of the State and National Secretariat, We sent this to support the Nigerian students in our grieving process. with sincere sympathy. The loss of a loved ones is always an unfathomable tragedy, which is compounded when such death. occurs at an unripe age. May their hearts and souls find peace and comfort.

"We wish the students Union Government Olabisi Onabanjo University, AgoIwoye, the deceased family, OOU management and entire students community of peace to bring comfort, courage to face the days ahead and loving memories to forever hold in their hearts.

Be comforted by the outpouring of love surrounding them. When reason fails, they should pray for peace. We will be praying for you.

"We pray that God will grant repose to the soul of the departed, comfort their entire families and give them the strength to bear their loss. We also wish the immediate families of the deceased God's succour in their moment of darkness.”

Workers to EFCC: probe governors owing salary From Tayo Johnson, Ibadan

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HE Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate former and serving governors for allegedly squandering resources.

The union alleged that some of the governors used government money to finance campaigns during the elections, while the workforce was being owed salary for many months.

The union, in a communiqué issued at the end of a one day meeting in Abuja, described as unfortunate a situation where some states and local governments could not pay workers and other mandatory deductions for many months due to corruption.

The union said it had become necessary for the anti graft agency to beam its searchlight into the activities of the affected governors.

It alleged that some former and serving governors wasted the resources in paying for inflated contracts and other personal expenses including chartered flights, sponsoring of political campaigns, bogus security votes and payment of severance allowances.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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NEWS

Buhari must resist policy ambush, says NLC faction

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HE Joe Ajaero-led faction of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has advised the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to resist policy ambush as well as those pushing for oil subsidy removal and naira devaluation.

The faction said oil subsidy removal and naira devaluation would amount to policy dictatorship contrary to the ruling party’s electoral promises.

It spoke in a statement signed by its Deputy President and General Secretary of Textile Workers’ Union, Issa Aremu, in Kaduna yesterday.

The faction cautioned the administration to be wary of some vested interests, who allegedly wanted to undermine his electoral promises.

The statement reads: “NLC particularly rejects the call by the Managing Director and

•‘No to fuel subsidy removal, naira devaluation’ From Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

Chief Executive Officer of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, for further devaluation of the naira, which is already in a free-fall of 18 per cent against the dollar in the past year. Market operators like Mr. Onasanya should not usurp the legitimate functions of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the regulator through unhelpful policy dictatorship.

“We hereby support the recently announced bold measures of the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, in managing the scarce foreign reserve through foreign-exchange restrictions on some frivolous imports. CBN should reject the least resistance of unhelpful option of

further naira devaluation.

“The existing currency devaluation has further eroded the wage income of millions of workers (many with unpaid monthly salaries). Devaluation has also increased the cost of domestic production, fuelled price inflation and undermined the competitiveness of locally surviving industry, leading to loss of the few existing jobs.

“The CBN ban on importers from using the foreignexchange market for some frivolous 40 items ranging from private jets to rice, wheelbarrows and Indian incense, Geisha (canned fish) and toothpicks, to even eggs is welcome and commendable.

“Nigeria, more than any nation, currently suffers huge capital inadequacy, with its

foreign-currency reserves sharply fallen by some 27 per cent to $29 billion since the end of last September.

“CBN measures aimed at capital application and capital control in line with its statutory objective will definitely enhance domestic production in place of unhelpful luxury imports. It will also save the nation the current capital flight averaging some N1.3 trillion ($6.5 billion) a year, (almost half of national budget) on avoidable unnecessary job-killing imports.”

The statement added: “Central banks worldwide ensure public control of capital for development without which capital on the loose can finance underdevelopment, cocaine growing as well as finance terrorism as America painfully came to realise in

the wake of 9/11.

“Indeed, CBN should include African prints textile materials in its foreign exchange restrictions. Nigeria has comparative advantage in production of African prints. It is bad enough to illegally lift the ban on its import, but it’s worse that we spend scarce foreign exchange on what we can and must produce locally.

“What Nigerians look forward to are urgent fixing of the existing refineries, passage of PIB, reorganisation and repositioning of the NNPC, reinvention of the downstream infrastructure of fuel production and distribution, an end to crude oil theft and mass decent jobs, not outworn outcry of removal of socalled fuel subsidy.

“As we have seen with good management of fertiliser subsidy in the last

•Buhari

dispensation under former Agriculture Minister, Dr. Adeshina Akinwunmi, there is nothing inherently bad with subsidy. The challenge of today more than ever before is domestic production of petroleum, instead of unsustainable wasteful imports.

The Buhari administration should reject one-cap fits all policy dictate. No substitute to good governance and employment generation.”

FAAN passes safety audit

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

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•From left: Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), The Chair Centre Group Mrs. Ibukun Awosika; former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr. Christopher Kolade, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Executive Director, The Convention on Business Integrity Mr. Olusoji Apampa; Vice Chairman, The Convention on Business Integrity/ Integrity Organisation Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje; and Chief Client Officer and Group Executive, AXA Mansard Insurance Mr. Tosin Runsewe, during the Third Annual Christopher Kolade Lecture on Business Integrity held at The Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

PHOTO: SOLOMON ADEOLA

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National Assembly crisis: ‘APC should ‘ve zero-tolerance for divisive elements’

GROUP of Nigerian youths, Youths for Change Nigeria, has decried the National Assembly crisis involving the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some of the party’s lawmakers.

Its National Leader, Mr. Seun Bobade, in a statement yesterday in Lagos, noted that the party was bigger than any individual ambition.

It said it had been following the National Assembly crisis and that it was shameful that a group of APC legislators decided to impede and forestall the party’s plan to

provide good governance.

“These legislators have been identified, and it’s become clear that they have no concern for the people nor respect for due process.

“These are qualities that shouldn’t be exhibited by the people we’ve elected to be our lawmakers.

“We are saddened by this shameful act that these legislators have demonstrated. We want to remind them that they all ran on the platform of the party and not as independent candidates. Therefore, party supremacy should be adhered to by all members under the

APC platform,” the group said.

The statement said members that would not allow the party to actualise its plans for the people should be shown the way out without sentiments.

“There should be zero-tolerance for individuals who would rather satisfy their selfish interests at the expense of the party and the people of this country. Sanctions should be admitted to party members who go against the party that brought them in for elective positions. This will serve as a deterrence to curtail future rebellion within the party,” the group said.

It said no personal interest should be allowed to undermine the supremacy of the party. ‘’We implore the leadership of the APC to do the needful now to prevent future embarrassing situations.

“It is time for the President to set the records straight and take a hard stance against these divisive elements within the governing party. Discipline is needed. We certainly believe that the APC can deliver its campaign promises to the people. Therefore, we urge Nigerians to be patient,” the youths added.

Law underway to help families of late LEGISLATION design to properly take political heroes, says Sani care of families of the

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nation’s late political heroes will soon be proposed at the National Assembly.

The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, said this when he visited the families of late Malam Aminu Kano, former governor of Kano State, late Sabo Bakinzuwo and Alhaji Mudi Sipikin in Kano yesterday.

The families of the heroes, he said, were “abandoned and nothing was done for them to show appreciation on the contributions they made” for

From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

the nation’s political development.

“I feel mandated to come here and pay my respect to the bases of our political foundation. As a child, I have always looked forward to emulating politics with ideology, sincerity and unity, which these people taught us.

“They have lived simple and straight lives that have shaped our political trend.

Unfortunately, these people

are only remembered in words and not in actions.

Their families were left to fate. This we will not allow and we will ensure that we have enact laws that will find these families and do something about their plight,” Sani said.

The families he visited expressed their appreciation over the intention of the senator.

Bakinzuwo was a governor in Kano for three months during the Second Republic in

•Sani

1983, and Sipikin was one of the seven politicians, who formed the defunct Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU).

EDERAL Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) workers have been hailed for enabling its authority to score “93.3 per cent” during the just concluded Aviation Security Audit.

FAAN’s Managing Director Saleh Dunoma gave the commendation during an interaction with airport operators in Lagos.

The Airport Excellence (APEX) in safety audit was conducted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Dunoma said he invited the Airport Council International (ACI) in line with the authority’s mandate for a safe and secured airport environment.

State workers criticised for shunning NHIS From Ahmed Rufa’I, Dutse

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ATIONAL Health Insurance Scheme’s (NHIS) Acting Executive Secretary Mr. Olufemi Akinbade has decried non-participation of state civil servants in the scheme since its inception 15 years ago.

Akinbade, who spoke yesterday in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, when he visited Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar in Government House, said in an effort to encourage state civil servants to join the programme, the NHIS opened its offices in all states.

He said the scheme’s management made it mandatory that officials must visit governors, adding that Jigawa State was the first to be visited because of its commitment to healthcare delivery.

The NHIS acting executive secretary noted that his delegation was in the state to discuss how to improve the scheme’s coverage to complement government’s efforts toward provision of basic healthcare service.

Akinbade said the NHIS had already covered five of the seven higher institutions, adding that they want to expand the coverage to include the less-privileged and other vulnerable groups.

The governor promised to partner the scheme to achieve the provision of accessible basic healthcare service to his people.

The state government hoped the partnership would enhance its policy on addressing the high rate of child and maternal mortality in rural areas.

Badaru said his government accorded the health sector a top priority, which, according to him, was the bedrock of production and economic development of any society.

“People can only work and produce more when they are healthy. If people are sick, certainly the production would be low. So, in view of this, we are ever ready to partner with any collaborator, who indicates interest in assisting us to improve our healthcare service delivery.

“We have provision for NHIS fund in our 2015 budget.

The state team and NHIS team will sit down and study the agreement. But we would tell you what we want from you, as we know the peculiarities of our state better,” Badaru said.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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NEWS

Depose our monarch, community tells Fayose •Angry monarch threatens to slap reporters

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HE people of Iyemero in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State have called on Governor Ayo Fayose to remove their traditional ruler, the Olu of Iyemero, Oba Ebenezer Agboola Ogungbemi, for what they called “acts unbecoming of his revered position”.

They staged a protest before and after a peace meeting chaired by the Attah of Ayede, Oba Mumuni Adebayo Orisagbemi, who came to reconcile the monarch with his subjects.

They accused Oba Ogungbemi of embezzlement of allowances due to his chiefs, illegal arrest and detention of his subjects as well as illegal sale of the community’s ancestral land.

The subjects also accused him of illegal felling and sale of the community’s economic trees, use of divide and rule tactics, highhandedness, dictatorial tendencies and lack of interest in the town’s development.

The protesters, who marched round the community, called on Fayose to depose Oba Ogungbemi before the already tense situation goes out of hand.

Some of their placards read: “Gov. Fayose, We don’t want

Osun APC advises judge to resign From Adesoji Adeniyi, Osogbo

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has advised Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede to resign from the High Court, instead of “ganging up with the opposition to destroy the government of which she is an integral part”.

The party was reacting to a petition forwarded to the House of Assembly by Justice Oloyede, demanding the impeachment of Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, for unpaid salaries and pensions.

In a statement by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, the party described the petition as “a gross abuse of the privileges of her office for the judge to use the platform of the state’s judiciary to mount open and destructive challenge against her boss”.

The party said: “The ethics of her status in this government prohibits such frontal challenge. If she is determined to bring down the Aregbesola government as her petition so clearly indicates, it will be dishonorable of her to remain in government. She is, therefore, advised to resign immediately so that she will be free to pursue her delight outside the platform of government.

“Whereas? the judge, as a free citizen, has rights to express herself on matters affecting the country and her environment but as a judge of the state High Court, she is ethically and morally restrained from making pronouncements that would be prejudicial to the administration of justice.

“The judge’s petition was significantly flawed because it is a bogus rehearsal of all the baseless allegations made by the PDP against the Aregbesola administration.”

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

Ebenezer Agboola as Olu of Iyemero again”; “We are tired of our oba, he must go”; “Iyemero youths reject Ebenezer Agboola as king”; “EFCC, come and probe Olu of Iyemero”; “We reject to die in prison, Agboola must leave”; “Agboola is not fit to be our oba again”, among others.

Traditional chiefs, town union leaders, women leaders, youths, students some of whom were arrested and detained for challenging Oba Ogungbemi’s alleged excesses said they could no longer guarantee peace in the community, if he still remains king.

The peace meeting, which was also witnessed by the Olu of Itapaji, Oba Abdulkareem Adebanjo, collapsed as the Attah was making his closing remarks when youths who had sat quietly throughout the proceeding brought out placards.

Oba Ogungbemi’s subjects insisted they were tired of his “oppressive” reign and heckled their monarch as he was seeing off Oba Orisagbemi.

At the end of the meeting, Oba Ogungbemi threatened to slap reporters, who sought

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•The protesters...yesterday. INSET From left: Oba Ogungbemi, Oba Orisagbemi and Oba Adebanjo at the meeting

to hear his side of the story since he did not speak at the meeting.

Oba Ogungbemi retorted: “What do you want to interview me for? You better go away or I will slap you.”

The Attah said Iyemero remained his second home since it was from there the people of Ayede moved to their present domain.

Oba Orisagbemi urged his brother-monarch to listen to his subjects, reconcile with

them and pay the chiefs.

President of Iyemero Progressive Union (IPU) Lawrence Fatoyinbo said the people no longer want Oba Ogungbemi.

Fatoyinbo said: “The Olu of Iyemero is running a oneman show; he doesn’t take advice and he is not ready to work with IPU. Even though he was not the rightful person to occupy the throne, we accepted him and gave him the benefit of

that the land belongs to his family.

“We don’t want him any longer; we have petitioned Fayose because the governor is the only answer to this issue.

“We have asked him to set up a panel to look into the matter.

“We have also taken the matter to the Elekole of Ikole before the latest intervention of the Attah of Ayede.”

Ex-FUTA VC, Ilemobade, found dead

WEEK after he was “abducted”, former Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Vice-Chancellor, Prof Albert Ilemobade’s body was discovered yesterday in a store in his Ijapo home in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The store, a small isolated room outside the main building ,is where cables are kept.

It was learnt that the former Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors was “murdered” by his driver, Yemi, and guard Daniel.

Prof Ilemobade retired from FUTA in 1995 after serving two terms as VC. He was almost 80.

The suspects were arrested in Ogun State while trying to sell the late Ilemobade’s car.

Sources said they confessed during interrogation that the Sport Utility Van (SUV) belonged to their boss and that they “murdered” him.

His decomposing remains have been taken to the morgue.

The late Ilemobade, his driver and guard were last Monday declared missing.

It was initially believed the

•Driver, security guard are suspects From Damisi Ojo, Akure

former VC was abducted, prompting relatives, church members and friends to pray and call for his release.

The Vicar-in-charge, Vinning College of Theology, Akure, Dr. Ayodeji Fagbemi, described the death as shocking, saying many thought he was kidnapped.

He said: “We were together in church on Sunday. It was Father’s Day last Sunday and, as usual, he was very active in our Bible study, making his contribution. During the time of thanksgiving, he danced.

“On Monday morning, we were called that he was missing. It was a very disturbing development for us. We came here straight away. The police and all of us met at the gate.

“Right from the front, the gate was padlocked. There was no way anybody could get in. Mama was inside and we were out there. We could only exchange words. Later, we called someone to cut the padlocks.

“When we entered, we saw his wristwatch just in front of the security post within the compound. We also found that his slippers had been flung to the other side of the road. We noticed that his red car had been taken away.

“We have since been around, church members, friends and everybody to support them, to encourage Mama.”

Fagbemi said he sent a text message to his phone number and his children were doing the same to encourage him.

He said: “It got to a stage that we were all getting agitated, wondering why it was taking time to release him.

“We were still hoping that with our efforts and prayers and efforts of the security operatives that his abductors would be apprehended and that he would be returned to us.

“Everyday, our people have been coming here to pray. Even today, we still prayed for him. But I was called to come and see them

Conditions worse under Fayose, say workers

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doubt but he has failed to justify our trust.

“He has not paid the chiefs their allowances in the last 10 years, despite collecting the money from the government.

“We want him to know that we can report him to anti-graft agencies and it is unfortunate that many of the chiefs had died without collecting what is due to them.

“He sold Iyemero landed property without the consent of the community, claiming

ORKERS’ standard of living has gone worse under the administration of Governor Ayo Fayose, some public servants in Ekiti State have cried out.

Acting under the aegis of the Enlightened Workers’ Forum (EWF), the workers slammed labour unions for looking the other way when they are supposed to “fight” for workers.

A statement yesterday by the EWF Coordinator, Mike Bamidele, urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) and the Joint

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

Negotiating Council (JNC) to “wake up from their slumber” and stop being government‘s puppets.

The group claimed that about 60 per cent of workers received April salaries from that month’s allocation.

“What happened to the balance of April allocation and the allocation for May because Ekiti workers are expecting a detailed explanation on these?

“This is how the plight of Ekiti workers continues to assume a rapid slide from bad to worse, with no one

championing their cause.

“It even became more worrisome when a couple of days ago, the governor said he only owed May salaries.

“Labour did not see any need to contradict him but what becomes of last September salary, the arrears of pensions and the leave bonus?

“The Forum believes there had been enough controversies over this matter and it is time the governor realised that the onus of payment rests squarely on his shoulders because there is no way he could inherit assets alone while he continues to shun the liabilities.”

here. In fact, mama was resting.

“I was told that he was actually killed. It was a shocking one. I had to go back to the church to disperse the people and tell them the news. While we were thinking that he was taken away, he must have been killed here.”

A source in the family said the late Ilemobade might have been killed because he just bought a new vehicle.

"Papa bought a vehicle recently and since then we have got information that they wanted to steal that vehicle.

"Earlier in the year, he was trailed by some unknown persons who wanted to snatch his vehicle, but he escaped. I think it was that vehicle that they wanted to sell.

"I can't imagine that our gateman was even the brain behind this. Papa took him as his son."

The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji and exFUTA Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof Emmanuel Fasakin,

said Nigeria had lost a very great scholar.

Fasakin lamented the manner in which Ilemobade was murdered, stressing that he did not deserve to die a “cruel death”.

He said: “Ilemobade was an international scholar. He was an erudite academic.

“He was two-time FUTA Vice Chancellor and Chairman, Committee of Vice Chancellors. He was the main core of FUTA. The achievements were very tremendous during his tenure.

“He was recognised all over the world. We’ve lost a very great scholar. For him to have died this kind of death, it is just too wicked, too cruel and too cheap for a man of his status. It is a terrible sin for whoever perpetrated the act,” Fasakin said.

Commissioner of Police Isaac Eke confirmed the incident.

He said he had been contacted by the Ogun State Police Command, adding that the two suspects had been arrested and that they would be paraded today.

Lifeline for Osun cocoa industry

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HE moribund Cocoa Processing Company in Ede, Osun State, has received a lifeline, with the intervention of two Chinese firms, which promised to resuscitate the comatose firm.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola broke the news when the firms visited the Government House in Osogbo.

The resuscitation promises creation of more jobs in the state. The two China-based companies -Skyron Corporation and Golden Monkey Group of Company- promised that production will begin in December.

David Shi, who led the Skyron group, said the company had been in the business of cocoa processing in the last 10 years.

The head of delegation of Golden Monkey Corporation of China, Liu Jin Hiu, assured that a confectionery company will also be established.

Aregbesola said the state is ready to provide an enabling environment for investors, urging them to consult him whenever they have challenges in pushing ahead with the investment.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

9

NEWS Senator Tinubu to ward leaders: be open

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HE senator representing Lagos Central, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has advised ward leaders to be open and free with members of their constituencies.

She spoke at a meeting with local government ward leaders at her constituency office in Yaba.

Senator Tinubu described the leaders as the first contact with the people.

The lawmaker said: “Words cannot quantify the support I have received from these constituents.

“It is my belief that we have achieved so much with the first four years mandate given to us and I feel the need to do more.

“This is indeed a very critical time for our nation but I strongly believe we shall, irrespective of distraction and overzealousness of some people, fulfill the change.

“The Eighth Senate shall witness lots of activities for the people as promised. This

will not go without the knowledge of our party leaders; that is why we have decided to sustain some of our programmes, including our quarterly Town Hall meetings, Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Scheme (YESA), Petty Trader Empowerment Capital Scheme (PETECS) and the elder citizen initiative.

“It is our duty to be accountable and responsible to our constituents.

“Also, as leaders, I urge you to be accountable and open, show the people kindness.

“It is practically irresponsible and unacceptable to neglect the people in these trying times. With them lies the power; that is what the party has been preaching.”

Senator Tinubu presented 220 GCE forms to the leaders to be distributed to the youths and scholarships to six undergraduates of New Era Foundation.

Group hails Ambode, others

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KO Foundation, a non-political, socio-cultural outfit, has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and other All Progressives Congress (APC) governors on their electoral victory.

It also hailed the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for his doggedness and tenacity.

A statement by its founding Chairman, Hakeem Damola, president Wole Smith and Secretary, Tayo Sasanya, said: “We advise the teeming populace to pray for the new government of change and for God’s continued guidance and aspiration to give Nigerians the much desired, deserved and expressed ‘change’ that the party has always amplified.

“To this end, Nigerians should not expect miracles overnight. All of us must work for a worthy, successful realisation of this noble project to bring the society and the nation to the path of greatness.”

Don’t destroy Awo’s legacy, APC tells Fayose

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has condemned the intent of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration in commercialising basic education, which it described as a “disservice to the memory of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo”.

The party condemned a circular by the government that primary school pupils should pay N550 examination fee while junior secondary and senior secondary school pupils are to pay N1,000 each.

In a statement yesterday by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC described the latest government decision as “another rape of the constitution, which guarantees free universal basic education from primary school to junior secondary school”.

The opposition party wondered what informed the “insensitive policy”, saying by the decision, Fayose had marked himself out as the last bastion of conservative partisans insensitive to the universal quest to basic education.

It regretted that “the governor had reduced all govern-

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‘Govt not commercialising education’

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HE Ekiti State government has denied the claim by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Governor Ayodele Fayose was planning to commercialise basic education.

It said: “The APC government of Dr Kayode Fayemi killed education in the state and the Fayose-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government is trying all that it could to restore the lost glory of the state in the education sector.”

Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, in a statement yesterday, said it was insulting for the APC to have made reference to the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

ment engagements and governance itself as a concept that must be denominated in naira and kobo”.

The APC said: ‘This is another hardship foisted on parents who are impoverished by the poverty-friendly administration of Fayose.

“Governor Fayose’s lame excuse during his recent media chat that pupils of free education are not always brilliant is ignorance taken too far.

“It reveals the lack of understanding and deep-seated

“The APC does not stand for one single ideal of Awolowo. The 1999 Constitution guarantees Free Universal Basic Education from primary school to JSS 3. That is a law that no government can contravene.

“However, does the APC as a party have the moral right to speak on education? Here is a party, whose government scrapped universities under the excuse that the state could not fund more than one university, but the same government could use borrowed funds to build N3.3billion Governor’s Lodge, civic centre, state pavilion and other irrelevant projects.

“Shouldn’t these characters in the APC show remorse and stop this persistent advertisement?”

contempt the governor has for education.

“Many successful professionals in the Southwest today are products of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s free education policy of the then Western Region. Therefore, we are at a loss how Fayose arrived at his conclusion.’

“We urge the governor to stop promoting policies that have the potential to breed more thugs and criminals that are his favourites for political advantage, saying free education is not responsible for the falling standard of educa-

tion in Ekiti State.

“The problem in the education sector is brought about by the lack of will as being demonstrated by Fayose, with a long period of systemic rot, especially in motivation of teachers and lack of in”The Kayode Fayemi administration tried to bring back the lost glory of education by encouraging teachers through training and incentives by paying rural posting and core subjects allowance, Christmas bonus and regular payment of salaries and allowances.”

Lagos Speaker consoles Mamora

PEAKER of the Lagos State House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa has condoled with a former Speaker of the Assembly, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, on the death of his mother.

Mrs. Elizabeth Mamora died on June 17. She was 93.

Obasa described the late

By Oziegbe Okoeki

Mrs. Mamora as a woman of virtue, who inculcated in her children godliness, hardwork and honesty as exemplified by the qualities of the former Speaker.

“No matter how old one’s parent is at the point of death,

one will still mourn because nobody can play the role parents play in the life of their children and that is why at this sober period, we have to sympathise with our own Senator Mamora and the entire family on the loss of mama.

“For the Mamora family, it is better to celebrate mama’s

life rather than mourn her because she had led a good and fruitful life as exemplified in the children she left behind,” Obasa said.

He said: “Mama was a good Christian mother ,who taught all her children how to live in the way of the Lord and strive to excel.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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CITYBEATS

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

•Olomofe being treated

•Olomofe on his sick bed

•Olomofe before the incident

•Olomofe at the briefing...yesterday

Smugglers attack journalist inside Custom’s office T HE Executive Director and Chairman, Editorial Board of Badagry Prime, a news magazine, Otunba Yomi Olomofe has narrated his ordeal in the hands of smugglers around the Seme border area of Badagry, while appealing to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to help secure his life and that of his family.

Olomofe, who is also the immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Ajara, spoke with newsmen yesterday, from his hospital bed, where he is recuperating.

He said the incident occurred last Thursday in the presence of Customs officers within the premises of the Seme Command.

Narrating how he narrowly escaped death, Olomofe said he was in company of another journalist colleague during a visit to the command, when some smugglers, who claimed journalists have been writing negative stories about them, pounced on him, beating him to stupor.

He noted that he suspected a set-up because he was at the Seme Command on the invita-

tion of the authority of the Service.

“I wonder how anybody could have been waiting for me there. How do they know that I will be there.

“They were beating me and they were threatening to kill any journalist that writes any story about them.

“I was there with the correspondent of Tide Newspaper, if not for a friend from Rotary Club that came to take me away, I would have been dead, because I was left there almost lifeless.

Boy seeks police help to locate dad

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SIX-year-old boy has run to the police to help him locate his father, Abel Daniel.

The Nation learnt that Daniel, 41, who works as a security official at Adeomo Abija, GRA Ikeja, Lagos left his Sango, Ogun State home on June 17 and has yet to return.

According to Michael Abel Daniel, all efforts to locate his father has failed.

The elder Daniel’s younger brother, Etim, alleged that his colleagues said they were unaware of his whereabouts.

He said: “I am the junior brother to Abel Daniel. We live together at 3, Owoyemi Street, Sango, Ogun State. We are three living together, myself, himself and his only son.

He got the son when he was in

By Ebele Boniface

school, out of wedlock. He has a fiancée based in Akwa Ibom State whom he is planning to marry.

“She (the fiancée) called me on Thursday June 18 the day I wanted to go to Sango Police Station to report the incident. She said that she called him on Wednesday June 17, the day Daniel left house without telling anybody where he was going with his car. She said he told her that he would not go to work on that Wednesday and Thursday.

On Thursday, the following day, she called him again and the phone was switched off. After several trials to get him on phone failed she then called me and asked of Abel, that his phone was switched off. I told her that Abel left house on

Wednesday and had not come back and when I tried to get him on phone, his handset was switched off. Later that day, I went to Sango police station with one woman and reported the matter, on Thursday June 18.

According to him, Daniel is light in complexion; 6.1m tall, speaks Efik and English fluently.

“He left with his Nissan Prado with number-plate EY118SMK. He is always at home if he didn’t go to office because of son who is schooling in a private school at Sango.

He finds it difficult to sleep outside because of his son. Now I have to be taking his son to school and bringing him back. I took excuse from work place and they allowed me to go and look for my missing brother.”

Ladipo traders: ‘we’re at landlords’ mercy’

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OME Ladipo auto parts dealers have alleged that they are at the mercy of multiple landlords, who “are making life difficult for us.”

The traders in the Odo Aladura Spare Parts section also complained of the menace of ‘area’ boys and the lack of toilets in their shops.

The unit’s outgoing Chairman, Jude Nwankwo, said his team did all it could to correct their anomalies.

Nwankwo enjoined the incoming executive to request a space from the landlords to build toilets for the traders.

Maxwell Uroko Chukwuma polled 235 votes to defeat Ebenobo Michael and others to emerge as chairman.

Sunday Onyekwe was elected treasurer with 174 votes to Maxwell Okafor’s 115 votes.

Elected unopposed are Ndubuisi Okonkwo - Assistant Provost, Iloka Ifeanyi - Chief Provost, Chinedu Okoro, Public Relations Officer (PRO) and Ikechukwu Onyema Financial Secretary.

“This happened within the Customs premises and I don’t know what they might do again. My life is not safe and that is why I am appealing to the police to come to my rescue.

“I am fully resident in Badagry, my familly lives with me. I have my parents, wife and children in Badagry.

“These hoodlums are not unknown. They are known to everybody, but they are above the law. They even told me that they have killed many people and nothing happened,” Olomofe lamented.

‘My husband has stopped eating my food’

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MIDDLE-age woman, Ruth Abah, is seeking the disso-

lution of her six-year-old marriage to her husband Abel, at an Agege Customary Court in Lagos.

She said her woes began in 2011 when her husband stopped eating at home.

“I was six months pregnant when my husband stopped eating my food. On several occasions, I asked him what I did but he never gave an answer. It went on for eight months and three weeks but my husband never gave a reason for his actions,” she said.

The petitioner added that her husband is fond of beating her.

She said: “He beats me over trivial issues. He also went to the extent of buying his own foodstuff to the house. At times we fight over our stove.”

Mrs Abah said she left her matrimonial home 2011 with their baby because the torture was too much, adding that her husband traced her

By Basirat Braimah

to the house she rented and beat her mercilessly.

“The love between us turned cold immediately we got married. I realised he loved me while we were courting. I want dissolution and I want him to cater for our child because I have been singlehandedly taking care of our son for over three months,” she said.

Defending himself, the respondent, said his wife she left the house of her own volition.

“I got back from work one day and I realised that my wife wasn’t at home. I didn’t know why she left because we had no issue that day.

We are both responsible for our child’s school fees. I am fine with the dissolution because I have someone else,” he said.

The court’s President, Pa Adekunle Williams, ordered the respondent to pay N15, 000 as the child’s three-month outstanding allowance. He adjourned the matter till July 23.

Church donates to General Hospital

By Kehinde Onifade

T •The traders during the election

Nwankwo was appointed Deputy President of Ladipo Central Executive.

He described the chairman-elect, Chukwuma, as a detribalised man

who would work hard to protect the traders.

Chukwuma waved the olive branch to those who contested against him.

THE Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Lagos Province 10, Orile Agege has donated items to Orile Agege General Hospital, Lagos.

The church donated 15 mattress, 20 Chairs and 20 lockers to the Children Department of the hospital as part of its corporate social responsibility.

Assistant Pastor-in-charge of the Province, Pastor Ayodele John said the donation was a way to give back to the society and to let them know that the Church is concerned about their needs.

A Consultant in the hospital, Dr Aduke Odutayo who received the items, thanked the church for the gesture.

Dr Odutayo said the action is apt because the church has met the needs of the department. She prayed God to enrich the church and make them to expand.

The Principal Medical Officer of the Hospital, Dr Arikenbi Temidire said she was excited because the province promised them and fulfilled it.

She said she will make sure the children enjoy all the equipments presented by the church and it would enable them to enjoy their stay in the hospital.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

CITYBEATS Oke-Odo fire: ‘We need assistance’ F IRE swept through Oke-Odo market in Abule Egba on Saturday, destroying nine shops.

Grocers were yesterday counting their losses to the fire, which reportedly began around 9pm.

“I was deep in sleep when my daughter woke me and said our shop was on fire.

Around 11pm, we left our Ijoko residence to our shop thinking we could save some things. I lost two shops and four grinding machines to the fire. I was yet to make profit from the last goods I bought. I have been in this market for over 25 years and I never witnessed such incident.

Ahhh!!! I don’t know where to start from and I have no other business”, said Mrs Olabisi Amosu, who trades in foodstuff.

The fire, an eyewitness said, was caused by a generating set, adding: “One of the traders put off his generator and covered it with a carton before he locked his shop. It was not up to an hour before he left that the shops caught fire. The fire service men came immediately they were alerted but

CITYBEATS LINE: 09091178827

Court dissolves pastor’s two-yearold marriage

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•Part of the burnt building

By Basirat Braimah

so many things had gone with the fire before it was eventually put out,” he said.

The witness said the generator owner ran away following the havoc.

He said: “His shop was also affected. I think running away was the least he

could have done.”

Chukwuma Uche, who also lost two shops, said he just replenished his stock last on Friday.

He said amid tears: “God! Why me! I had just recovered from my goods that got stolen recently now this is happening again. I wor-

ship God the best way I can.

This saddens my heart.”

Another trader, simply called Mama Oyinbo, said she stocked her shop with condiments on Saturday evening.

“The least carton of provisions I bought was five. It is a great loss. I will have to sell the little I recovered at

Leadership tussle: CCC elders, Shepherds rally support for Olatoso

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LDERS of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) have rallied round their “unification”leader, Rev Olatoso Matthew Oshoffa, asking members to support him.

They said Olatoso was “divinely ordained.”

In a statement yesterday, Senior Evangelist Adeola Emmanuel and Senior Evangelist Johnson Olakunle, said the church could not move forward without a di-

By Olalekan Ayeni

vinely anointed leader who will take it to another height.

The statement reads: “Following the unfortunate judgment of the Ilaro High Court which terminated the leadership of our former Pastor, Reverend Emmanuel Oshoffa, our great church had been without headship and this is not healthy for the church.

“Now that the Lord in His

goodness has chosen a new leader for His church in the person of Reverend Olatoso Matthew Oshoffa, we should bury our differences and embrace him for the benefit of all.”

The elders said God’s will must be done for the church to move forward, noting that in the last 12 years, it has not made progress.

Rev Oshoffa has promised to, among others, build a cathedral at the church’s Imeko, Ogun State head-

T •Oshoffa

quarter; saying the project will be completed in five years.

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By Adebisi Onanuga

room at 26, Abati Street, Cole Bus-stop, Ikotun Egbe in Lagos, took her to the General Hospital at Ibafo in Ogun State. She got no succour there.

Following the family’s relocation to Ikotun-Egbe, Kehinde was taken to LUTH where the growth was diagnosed to be a Cancerous tumour by a physician in the Burns and Plastic section.

To save her daughter, the mother said she took to begging at bus stops to raise money for the surgery. She said they were able to raise N700,000 for the surgery which was done on December 29, 2013.

But a year later, she said, the growth returned. She rushed back to LUTH and was told that the case has gone beyond medication.

The family was told

•Baby Kehinde with her mother...yesterday

Kehinde must undergo a fresh surgery to save her.

Kehinde’s parents can be reached on 0817-762-6057;

a ridiculous price. To think I was going to be relaxing today (Sunday), I am here looking at my burnt shop.

Mr Chichi who has been selling Kitchen Utensils for 15 years said he couldn’t save anything pleading with the government to come to their aid because he has nothing to live on.

Two men remanded for murder

Girl, 2, needs N1m for cancer surgery ITTLE two-year-old Kehinde Adebiyi should be running around the house like her peers, particularly her twin brother, Taiye. But she cannot because she is in pains, a situation that has kept her indoors.

Her parents are indigentthe father, Matthew Adebiyi, is a Furniture maker, and the mother, Bidemi, is a petty trader.

Kehinde has a tumour in her right ear and needs about N1 million for surgery at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Mushin,Lagos.

According to her mother, Kehinde’s problem started in December, 2013, about two weeks after her birth, when she noticed what looked loke a mosquito bite on her right ear. Thinking that it was a boil, the family, which now lives in a

LAGOS Island Customary Court has granted the request of a 38-year-old woman, Mary Iyayi, by dissolving her twoyear-old marriage to a pastor, Samuel Iyayi, over battery and infidelity.

The Court President, Chief Awos Awosola, dissolved the union and told the parties involved to maintain the peace ‘’anywhere they see each other.’’

“Starting from today, you ceased to be addressed as husband and wife, you must maintain the peace anywhere you see yourselves,” he said.

Awosola ordered that the petitioner, Mary, should return her dowry of N1000 to her 35-year-old ex-husband.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that right inside the court, Mary gave back her dowry to the pastor.

The petitioner approached the court on May 14, seeking the dissolution of her twoyear-old marriage, citing battery and infidelity.

The petitioner told the court that her husband raped her and caused her to lose her two-month-old pregnancy.

The petitioner, Mary, a makeup artist, who lives at Oke-Olu Street, Iponri, Lagos, told the court that her husband was brutish.

“He held my hands to the wall, so I could not move, l told him that l was pregnant and that I was fragile. He did not listen and forcefully made love to me.

“After, I started bleeding and l lost the pregnancy. He told me later that he merely helped me to flush the pregnancy.

“I had three abortions for him during our courtship, I did that in order to save his ministry from crumbling.

“It was after l got married to him that l knew that he married me because of my money and not that he had true love for me.

“He once told me that he prefers a woman with big breast which l do not have,” she told the court.

Mary told the court that her husband used beat her at any slight provocation.

“He beat me, pushed me and l hit my tommy on the wall, l lost another pregnancy in the process,’’ she said.

She also told the court that before she left her husband house in June 2014, her husband had stopped sleeping in the same room with her.

“Due to the three abortions and two miscarriages l had, l was told at the hospital that my womb had been tampered with and that it will take the grace of God for me to be pregnant.

“Also, my husband threatened to kill me if l leave him because in their church, they cannot marry another wife if the former wife is not dead.

“I packed my belongings out of his house except for my wedding gown which he seized. I want my wedding gown back because he might use it against me.

“I am the only child of my parents, I do not want to die, I want the court to help me collect my wedding gown from him and dissolve the union,” she said.

donations can be sent to Access Bank with account number 0043558184 in favour of Mr Adebiyi Adebayo Matthew.

WO men - Matthew Imeh and Aliu Salisu – who allegedly caused the death of a man by pushing him into an oncoming traffic, were remanded at Ikoyi Prisons.

An Ebute Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court which gave the ruling, said the accused should remain in custody pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The accused - Imeh, 25, and Salisu, 29 – were arraigned before Magistrate O.A. Komolafe on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

Komolafe, however, rejected the bail application of the accused.

The prosecutor, Elizabeth Ekuma, an Assistant Superintendent (ASP) had earlier told the court that the accused committed the offences on May 7 at Aiye Junction on Mushin-Isolo Road.

She alleged that the accused pushed a man, Rafiu Baale, into an oncoming traffic which led to his being crushed by a Mercedes Benz truck.

She said the offences contravened Sections 221 and 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The case has been adjourned to Aug. 19, 2015.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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NEWS

RAMADAN KAREEM

Ramadan 12, 1436AH

Eat ‘balanced diet’

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SCHOLAR Malam Muhammad Lawan, has enjoined Muslims to take into the importance of eating ‘balanced diet’ while fasting.

Speaking yesterday at the 5th Ramadan Tafsir, organized by the Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) in Gombe State, Lawan said eating ‘one type of food’ should be avoided, as much as possible.

According to him,eating balanced diet will give people the good health to enable them worship God with vigour.

He said such diet should contain protein, vegetable, minerals, among others, to help protect people from infections and other diseases.

He also urged those fasting, to always go for natural fruits instead of bottled or packaged drinks that contained chemicals and other preservatives.

•From right: Protea Hotel Chairman Alhaji Tajudeen Owoyemi; All Progressives Congress (APC) National Legal Adviser Dr Muiz Banire; former Lagos State Electoral Commissioner Alhaji Musibau Oyefeso; Lagos State House of Assembly member Hon Rotimi Abiru; Chief Imam of Mushin Central Mosque Alhaji Sulaimon Olanijo and Senator Ganiyu Solomon during an Iftar organised by Dr Banire at his GRA, Ikeja home... at the weekend.

Say: “Praise be to ALLAH, who begets no son, who has no partner in (His) dominion. Nor (needs) He any to protect Him humiliation. Yea, magnify Him for His greatness and glory!”

Qu’ran 17 vs 110 Sponsored by ALHAJI KHAMIS TUNDE BADMUS Asiwaju Musulumi of the Yorubaland

RAMADAN GUIDE WITH FEMI ABBAS e-mail: femabbas@yahoo.com Tel: 08122697498

The next 10 days

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T the beginning of this sacred month, 11 days ago, an analysis was done in this column classifying the 30 days of Ramadan into three segments. The first segment was said to contain the first ten days during which the blessings of Allah came to faithful Muslims freely and in abundance. Except for meeting that segment with faith and good intention, there was no working for it. That segment ended yesterday paving way for the second segment that begins today.

As from today, fasting Muslims, all over the world, will start working for the master key to Al-Jannah through forgiveness. That is the essence of this second segment of the month of Ramadan. During this period, Muslims are expected to intensify worship (Ibadah) by spending their days and nights seeking Allah’s forgiveness through the chanting of Istighfar and by refraining from any act that is abhorrent to conscience.

Usually, there are conditions attached to forgiveness. One of such conditions is to admit one’s misdeeds and repent on them. The second is to voluntarily and genuinely seek forgiveness while the third is to resolve never to return to such misdeeds again.

To seek Allah’s forgiveness during that time, a Muslim should follow the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who was reported to have said that “if you want to speak with Allah, make your request on prostration. And if you want Allah to speak with you recite the Qur’an”. No one who abides by the above conditions and follows the Prophet’s counsel on prayers will ever be disappointed. Allah is the only promising and fulfilling God. He never reneges on His promise. In Qur’an 2:186 He confirms that assertion by saying: “...And when my servants ask you (Prophet Muhammad) about me, tell them that I am very close to them. I answer the prayers of whoever seeks my favour when he or she prays to me (without any intermediary). So, let them expect my favourable response and trust in me so that they may be rightly guided” The second ten days in Ramadan are not just to consolidate on the blessings of the first ten days they are also to prepare the fasting Muslims for the last ten days when they are expected to be fully liberated from the claw of Satan.

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400 preachers deployed in four African countries

HE National Vice Chairman of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), Sheikh Muhammad Abdulmuhyi yesterday said the organisation has dispatched over 400 Islamic preachers to four African countries to preach during the Ramadan period.

Abdulmuhyi spoke in Bauchi when he visited the Emir

of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu.

He listed the countries as Niger Republic, Cameroon, Benin Republic and Sudan, adding that the Muslim communities in those countries were benefiting from the knowledge of the preachers.

Sheikh Abdulmuhyi urged on traditional rulers to offer useful advice to leaders to

work towards ensuring peace in the country.

He commended the emir for his role in promoting the activities of the organisation in the state.

Sheikh Abdulmuhyi called on Bauchi State Government to pay the salary arrears owed workers to reduce their hardship.

Emir Adamu said Ra-

madan was one of most blessed Islamic months.

The monarch expressed delight over the harmonious relationship existing among the people of the state.

He hailed Abdulmuhyi for the sense of maturity he exhibited when he was posted by JIBWISS from Jos to Bauchi to preach during the 2014 Ramadan.

Participate actively in politics, Lagos SSG, ex-lawmaker tell Muslims

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ECRETARY to the Lagos State Government, Mr Abdul Lateef Tunji Bello

By Ibrahim Adam

and a former lawmaker cum Chief Imam of Lagos State

House of Assembly, Dr Abdul Hakeem AbdulLateef yesterday said active participation in politics by religious people will help develop the country.

The duo spoke at the Ramadan lecture organised by the Ansar-Ud-Deen College, Isolo Old Students’ Association at the school hall, Isolo, Lagos.

Bello, who chaired the event, urged members of the National Assembly to fear Allah in going about their legislative duties.

“With the present situation in the National Assembly, I will advise them to fear and respect Allah, moreso, Ramadan preaches piety and peace,” he said.

The Lagos SSG hailed the alumni for contributing to the nation’s development.

Dr AbdulLateef wondered why office holders make promises on their inauguration day without fulfilling them.

While speaking on Muslims as drivers of development in the present day Nigeria, he said Allah created Muslims as the best community for mankind, adding that the present situation of the country is caused by leaders who do not fulfilling their promises.

“Back then, we build houses without burglaries and walls but today, it’s not possible which is an evidence of insecurity. There is nothing that happened in this country without being stated by Allah in the Quran. Nigeria is the only blessed country in the world; our weather is balance, everything is available but with bad leaders.

“Our leaders make us have Boko Haram today. Why did they not fulfil their promises?

Why not give them good edu-

•Bello

•Dr Abdulateef

cation and provide their needs; Nigeria is in trouble and all we need is to participate in the politics,” he said.

The Chief Imam added: “Allah has warned us that He will not change our situation except we change from our wayward attitude. We have used our personal ambition to destroy collective good.

Dr. Abdul Hakeem Abdul Lateef urged parents to train their children well and good ambassadors.

Earlier in his address, National Present of the alumni, Dr Umar Oluwole Sanda implored Nigerians to pray for leaders to follow the righteous path.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

NATION SPORT INTERVIEW... INTERVIEW... INTERVIEW... INTERVIEW...

Women's World Cup: African Review The 7th edition of the Fifa Women's World Cup is still ongoing in Canada, but Africa's representatives have already been sent packing. In this feature, Goal.com look back over the problems and positives highlighted by the African representatives at the Women's World Cup. CAMEROON

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S the tournament is remembered in history, it will surely be remembered as another misadventure for African teams.

Three African nations went into the showpiece occasion with hopes of surging deep into the tournament; of the trio, only Cameroon succeeded in advancing beyond

COTE D'IVOIRE Cote d'Ivoire headed to Canada with hopes of a positive Women's World Cup on their first-ever appearance, but returned empty handed after groupstage elimination. In North America, the Ivorians were drawn with Germany and Norway as well as Thailand in Group B. Coach Clementine Toure's achieved the passage to their debut world championship solely with players in the domestic league after a fine campaign at the 2014 African Women Championship.

They were thrashed 10-0

by Germany, but suffered a narrow 3-2 loss to Thailand before falling 3-1 to Norway in the final group match.

After conceding 16 goals, coach Toure blamed their disappointing campaign on the inadequate preparation and underdevelopment of women's football in the country.

"We have worked so hard to try to present a good image of Ivory Coast," Toure told the media.

"We wanted to do well in important matches like the one against Germany," she said.

"We arrived 72 hours before the game, and were very tired from a long journey of 15 hours and with jet lag.

Those are things that we would like to correct, to arrive earlier, and to play

the group phase into the knockout rounds.

Nigeria very nearly made it as the second African team into the final 16 despite being drawn in the Group of Death.

However, the Cote d'Ivoire had their baggage packed from their opening-game humiliation in the hands of the Germans.

preparation games. We were unable to play friendly games, and this has hurt us.

"I want to make an appeal to not only our federation, but to all of Africa, that women's football has arrived.

NIGERIA Nigeria’s failure at the global showpiece was clearly forecasted even before they

Cameroon’s outstanding performance on their first appearance in the tournament remains Africa's World Cup highlight.

After their first major tournament at the 2012 London Olympics turned out badly-they were eliminated in the group stage conceding 15 goals-they steadily overcame their disappointment and focused on the positives.

Even after the premature exit

"We believe in our women. We have a good team. Today the Ivory Coast showed it deserves a place in the World Cup. But we also deserved to be better prepared. We didn't deserve to be humiliated."

left the country.

After winning seven of the nine African championships, and featuring in every World Cup since 1991, there was rea-

of the African queens Nigeria and debutants Cote d’Ivoire, the Lionesses kept the continent’s hopes alive to become the second African side to reach the knockout stages.

Finishing as runners-up in a Group C, the 53rd-ranked African side failed to edge out the 1999 runners-up China in the second round.

Counting the gains above the defeat, coach Enow Ngachu said, "We are excited to qualify for the second round. Just the

son for some quiet optimism, but the women's side-who have only ever advanced from the group stage oncewere unable to manage it this

fact we are here will have a positive impact on Cameroon.

"We've received many messages on social media. Some teams have started to be created in Cameroon and we hope that many more will be created.

"Compared to Nigeria, Cameroon are a small team.

We're not just representing Cameroon but carrying the colours of Africa. After the Olympics we came back and had to work," the coach explained.

time.

Despite an experience and youthful squad, the Super Falcons only showed glimpses of

"It's the same team that played in London, they've learned a lot and are still learning. We have a long way to go.

"This was a learning experience as our first appearance. We need to develop women’s football. We need good organisation and we also need to create as many clubs as possible.

"The day we prepare and organise very well, I think an African nation will one day win the World Cup. Some of players are very talented which is why they play outside of Africa. their potential in an impressive comeback from two goals behind to draw 3-3 in their opening against Sweden.

But thereafter, they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Australia and 1-0 reverse against the United States to finish bottom of Group D, a successive defeat which coach Edwin Okon blamed on loss of concentration.

"I don't think they (USA) were very good -- it was a lack of concentration on our part from our defence," said Okon who would have hoped for a better cheering outcome.

"We just have to go home and think of what went wrong," the Nigerian coach said.

The African champions largely failed to fare better due to poor preparatory planning, insufficient technical support to the coaches, poor welfare and the terrible state of the domestic league.

There were moments of excellence during the women's showpiece in Canada, but ultimately, regrettably, the continent's trio largely failed to deliver on any optimism that may have accompanied their tournament preparations.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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COMMENTARY EDITORIALS

LETTER

Bank fraud epidemic •We need a mechanism that will reduce this to the barest minimum

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EARLY 10 years after consolidation, followed by an earth-shaking sanitisation exercise four years after, all would seem far from well with the Nigerian banking industry. While a lot may have changed for good in the general service landscap e as a whole, thanks to the rapid deployment of new technologies, the same bad habits by the operators which once plunged the sector into ruin would appear to have endured.

That, at least, was the picture as presented by Henry Semenitari, chief executive officer of one of the nation’s banks last week – himself quoting from the latest Financial Institutions Training Centre publication –the FITC Report on Frauds and Forgeries in Banks. According to the bank chief, between January and September 2014, a total of 8,502 fraud cases were recorded in the banking sector involving N23.34bn. As if this figure is not itself alarming enough, – the report, said to be based on 66 returns received from 22 banks – would appear a measure of how pervasive the scourge is to the entire financial services industry.

As for the cases, they were said to stem from fraudulent ATM withdrawals, computer fraud, fraudulent withdrawals, suppression of entries and opening/operating fraudulent accounts.

Admittedly, the situation at this time hardly requires hitting the panic button; rather, what it calls for is urgent action to check the scourge which has the poten-

tial both to erode the trust and ultimately bring the financial services industry to its knees. Nigeria, currently faced with a haemorrhaging public sector would certainly be doomed were the financial sector to suffer the same fate.

Of course, we appreciate that no financial services sector can claim to be immune from fraudsters – either from within or without. We understand also that the layers of checks and controls instituted by the banks merely increase the chances of detection of frauds only after they occur; that the checks in themselves do not guarantee that abuses of the system by criminal delinquents would not occur. The challenge here is how our banks could put in place a mechanism that works, a system that reduces the chances of abuses to the very minimum – and when they occur – make the prospect of detection near-certainty.

Obviously, the banking industry still has a long way to go in this regard. Indeed, it would appear that necessary infrastructure for such does not yet exist.

Given that one notorious feature of the financial services environment is the absence of infrastructure for background checks on the sector’s potential employees, the result is an industry that harbours employees who ordinarily would have no business in the sector. Having been let in, they almost inevitably end up preying on the system. And in the atmosphere

in which the security agencies that could have helped to ameliorate the situation are themselves bogged down by systemic failures and derelictions, the situation is left to thrive. We think the time has come for the Bankers Committee and the security agencies to work in concert – to deal with the problem once and for all.

Of course, that nearly all the banks are involved itself says a lot. It is either the banks’ overall systems of financial controls are weak or simply inadequate.

Again, who else but the Bankers Committee can fix it? The committee might wish to take a closer look at the system with a view to bringing it up to speed with the challenge.

‘The challenge here is how our banks could put in place a mechanism that works, a system that reduces the chances of abuses to the very minimum – and when they occur – make the prospect of detection near-certainty.

Obviously, the banking industry still has a long way to go in this regard’

Where are the trillions?

•N42trn earnings in four years, yet Nigeria is broke and in debt

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HIS manner of recklessness could be said to be unprecedented just as the damage is extensive. The only consolation the country may be left with today is that the chicken has finally come home to roost and we are well about picking the pieces.

According to report, an estimated N42 trillion revenue accrued to the coffers of the Federal Government in the four-year period of 2011 to 2014; this was during the era of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Incidentally, these were Nigeria’s most recent oil boom years when the price of crude oil averaged $100 per barrel and production quota was in the region of two mbpd (million barrels per day).

However, these were the years of the locust, it seemed. The more revenue that accrued to the nation, the faster it seemed to be frittered away. In fact, it was not

‘More galling however is that with an average earning of N10 trillion per year, there are no visible investment in the critical areas of the economy. Power generation, perhaps the most niggling infrastructural challenge of the nation remains at sub 4,000 megawatts level it was before Jonathan’s time. Other areas like roads and transportation, health and education did not fare much better’

only that earnings were vanishing as fast as they hit the treasury, Nigeria’s debts continued to mount.

Speaking with the state governors recently, President Muhammadu Buhari had admonished them about the importance of fiscal discipline in the management of resources accruing to their states.

The governors had visited the president to seek for financial bailout as most of them are several months in arrears of their workers’ salary bills. Such is the level of the nation’s despair despite huge revenues.

“There are financial and administrative instructions in every government parastatal and agency. But all these were thrown to the dogs” Buhari said, expressing shock that the governors who sought bailout now were the same that tolerated the fiscal atrocities committed with the Excess Crude Account (ECA) since 2011.

Most of the revenue loss during this period is attributable to non-remittance of earnings by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government. In such sector as oil and gas from which the bulk of the nation’s wealth is earned, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, in cahoots with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) finagled with earning so much that they became almost sovereign unto themselves.

The Jonathan years were singularly characterised by ineptitude, impunity and mind-boggling corruption. There was also a total lack of transparency and accountability while government officials at all levels carried on as if it was an endless street party. It was mis-governance at a

level that had no parallel.

Though it could be argued that insurgent activities of the Boko Haram terror group may have compounded the problems and raised the cost of governance, examples abound to show that this is not a tenable excuse for a most profligate era. Take the example of the so-called fuel subsidy payouts. From a total of about N300 million in 2010, it sky-rocketed to about N1.2 trillion in 2011/2012 and more worrisome, it all turned out a massive fraud. Not one of the supposed oil marketers who made away with billions of naira was convicted or made to pay back since 2012.

More galling however is that with an average earning of N10 trillion per year, there are no visible investment in the critical areas of the economy. Power generation, perhaps the most niggling infrastructural challenge of the nation remains at sub 4,000 megawatts level it was before Jonathan’s time. Other areas like roads and transportation, health and education did not fare much better. Human development indices too remain at the nadir among nations.

Today, the crunch has come; crude oil prices have crashed just as the nation’s currency and there is not even enough fund to pay the salary and pensions of civil servants. We are consoled however that the new man in the saddle, President Buhari seems to have a grasp of the situation at hand. Apart from plugging the leakages, he must insist on fiscal discipline at all levels of government. That is the way forward.

Open letter to President Buhari

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IR: Dear President, permit me to remind you that your victory at the polls following PDP defeat brought joy and great expectations to the common man. I hope you will live up to these expectations.

May I also remind you that the respect Nigerians have for you as a person before now did not just start.

It all started right from your days as the Military Head of State who gave Nigeria a direction. It has always been my expectations that you will invoke your discipline mantra of old to deal with the insubordination in the APC now. Some of us have always hoped that you will bring hope to the hopeless and helps to the helpless. Nigerians voted for the APC thinking that our public officers will for once imbibe the culture of change.

I am compelled to write this open letter to you following recent happenings in the APC (a party of hope for the common man), the APC majority National Assembly and the leadership of the APC. You are the official leader of the APC in government and the fountain of hope for the APC. You know the hard work and energy you and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu put together to manifest the APC which eventually is the ruling party at the national level with majority states in Nigeria.

As a party man and our President, the events happening in the National Assembly should interest you to the extent that you should not leave anything to chance howsoever. The emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Senator Ekweremadu of the PDP as the Deputy is not a good omen for both the APC and the presidency. The success of your administration is invariably that of the APC. That Saraki emerged Senate President with the open display of PDP support is enough sign to any reasonable man that he who pays the piper dictates the tunes. That again, Saraki should have the boldness to throw to the winds again the APC agreed positions of the leaders in the Senate is enough to accept the fact that the spirit of APC is in abeyance as far as Saraki is concerned.

Sir, would you be surprised to hear that the PDP is ready to use some of these same faithless APC members to challenge the list of ministers you will soon present?

I urge you in the name of God to name your ministers, advisers and assistants quickly. They will assist you handle this challenging situation. David Mark as Senate President was the pillar of the PDP in and outside the Senate while it lasted, the APC cannot secure for now such commitment from Saraki and some of its Senators. They cannot hold forth for the party now, yet no member of the Senate got to the senate as an independent candidate. Every elected member came to the National Assembly on the platform of a political party which by convention and law is supreme. It is wrong an for Saraki to continue to have alternative list for positions meant to be occupied by the APC leadership. This is a challenge to the authority of the party that brought him to the Senate, it must be resisted at this early time. The APC must be bold to discipline it members now with the help of the President.

I wish to reiterate that whether anybody likes it or not, Tinubu remains the pillar of the APC in its formation and President Buhari would remain the pivot the APC should revolve around to consolidate.

• Chief Barr Utum Eteng, Calabar.

TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief Victor Ifijeh • Editor Gbenga Omotoso •Chairman, Editorial Board Sam Omatseye •General Editor Adekunle Ade-Adeleye •Editor, Online Lekan Otufodunrin •Managing Editor Northern Operation Yusuf Alli •Managing Editor Waheed Odusile

• Executive Director (Finance & Administration) Ade Odunewu

•Deputy Editor Lawal Ogienagbon

•Advert Manager Robinson Osirike

•Deputy Editor (News) Adeniyi Adesina

• Gen. Manager (Training and Development) Soji Omotunde •General Manager (Abuja Press) Kehinde Olowu •AGM (PH Press) Tunde Olasogba

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•Deputy Editor (Nation’s Capital) •Press Manager Yomi Odunuga Udensi Chikaodi •Group Political Editor Emmanuel Oladesu •Legal Counsel John Unachukwu •Group Business Editor Simeon Ebulu • Manager (Admin) Folake Adeoye •Group Sports Editor Ade Ojeikere •Acting Manager (sales) •Editorial Page Editor Olaribigbe Bello Sanya Oni

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

CARTOON & LETTERS

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IR: After reading your editorial entitled Envoys’ Visits, I came to the conclusion that though your newspaper has taken a firm position on the developments in the Senate, it has also decided to stand the facts on the head, in order to make your unjustifiable conclusions believable.

While your newspaper is free to assume the position of counsellor to the US and UK on which Nigerian official to visit and what position they should take on issues arising in Nigeria, I believe that an editorial must dish out only facts and nothing but the facts.

The editorial stated that “ Senator Saraki teamed up with the PDP senators and about eight from the APC to get the position at a time that about 51 other members of the of the APC were at the International Conference Centre in Abuja to attend a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari”. It continued that “as part of the trade-off by Senator Saraki, Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP was elected Deputy Senate President. Not a few wondered how a man could have stabbed his own party in the back the way Senator Saraki did, just to realize his am-

Your editorial on Envoys missed it bition”.

The rest of the editorial is based on the statements above. However, the editorial chose to ignore the fact that the candidate of the section of the party leadership which continued to claim that it is representing the APC, Ahmed Lawan, enjoys the support of only 27 senators out of 108. Thus, the so-called meeting purportedly convened by the President was planned by the same section of the party leadership which now flagrantly used the name of the party to legitimize its scheme. Its aim is to use the gathering to railroad and coerce the Senators and Representatives to go and rubber stamp its decisions.

This is against the position of the entire Senate that members should be left to decide their leadership.

If it is true that Mr President conveyed the meeting at ICC by 9a.m.,

how come that by 10. 05 a.m. when the Senate began sitting on the strength of the proclamation issued by the same President stating that the inauguration should be done by 10a.m.the same day, Buhari had not arrived the venue of the meeting at ICC which they claimed he convened?

The editorial conveniently omitted the fact that the APC members present in the Senate Chambers that day fielded Senator Ali Ndume for the position of deputy senate president and voted for him but were defeated by the 49 PDP Senators who were all present as against the 25 APC senators present. Thus, instead of accusing Saraki of back stabbing his party by helping Ekweremadu to win, those who kept APC senators from the chambers and did not realise that they ought to change the time

on the presidential proclamation sent to the Clerk, made Ekweremadu the Deputy Senate President by default.

It should be noted that if the Clerk of the National Assembly had conducted the elections of the leadership of the House of Representatives before or at the same time as that of the Senate, we would have ended up with a PDP Deputy Speaker as it happened in the Senate. The two hours in between the time he concluded the election in the Senate and when he started that of the House of Representatives saved the day in the House as it allowed members of the party to return from the aborted meeting to the House chambers. Otherwise, the PDP would have been in the majority on the floor in the absence of the

Honourable members indeed!

IR: Thursday June 25 will go down the annals of Nigeria’s history as, yet, another day members of the House of Representatives showed how hallowed enough they deemed the “hallowed” Green Chamber of the National Assembly.

It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of patriotic Nigerians to see our “Honourable” members engage in fighting for leadership positions aimed at giving them the leverage to amass for themselves and cronies, the wealth of the nation rather than fighting for the entrenchment of true democratic practices or the unleashing of democratic dividends to the to bring them out of the current untoward economic challenges of poverty, unemployment, insecurity, corruption, etc.

If one may ask, what is honourable about the members when they’re wont to engaging in physical combats for reasons that, in the long run, doesn’t have any

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EDITOR’S MAIL BAG SEND TYPEWRITTEN, DOUBLE SPACED AND SIGNED CONTRIBUTIONS, LETTERS AND REJOINDERS OF NOT MORE THAN 800 WORDS TO THE EDITOR, THE NATION, 27B, FATAI ATERE ROAD, MATORI, LAGOS. E-mail: views@thenationonlineng.net

positive impact on the citizenry, but instead, leaves them bewildered and dismayed as well as further dent the image of the country?

It’s utterly appalling to see our supposedly honourable members throw their sense of honour to the winds and engage in physical combats at a time when they should be combating the humongous and burgeoning economic, social, political, cultural and other challenges facing the country.

To recall that this awful incident is happening at a time when the dust raised by the controversies and intrigues surrounding the elections of NASS leadership had hardly settled down really leaves the citizenry wondering if the 8th Assembly, especially the House of Representatives, is really ready to drive the country’s legislative business to the next level.

It’s really disheartening to also note that the legislators at the heart of this inglorious fight are mem-

bers of the ruling APC that had promised Nigerians positive change and a departure from the hitherto, business-as-usual paradigm in the nation’s 16 years of uninterrupted democratic experience. And this has truly left Nigerians bitterly querying the nature and type of change the APC want to bring to them.

There’s no doubt that our legislative system is a very crucial segment of our current system of government. There’s also no doubt that our legislative arm of government is meant to be populated by individuals who are deemed honourable and respectable due to the fact that they are saddled with the task of making laws that will bring about the unity, peace and progress of our country.

However, a situation where these “personalities have decided make fighting and worthless altercations their stocks in trade truly leaves much to be desired. It puts a ques-

tion mark on the extent to which our legislators, especially those at the House of Representatives, are honourable enough to legislate and produce for the nation, worthwhile laws needed for her holistic development.

It’s extremely important that while our representatives in the legislative arm of government go about parading themselves as honourable members, they should also realise that true honour isn’t just gotten, but earned; that it doesn’t just come on the basis of desire, but on the basis of the recipient deserving it.

Our legislators must get off this beaten track of senseless melee in the execution of legislative business, and embark on the true act of legislation, especially in this time and season where the nation’s economy is performing at one of its lowest ebbs.

• Daniel Ndukwe Ekea, Umuahia, Abia state.

APC members.

It is heartwarming that The Nation conceded that “there is no doubt that the Senate President met the legal requirement of a simple majority that he needed to emerge as the senate president”.

This singular fact, combined with the fact that he enjoys support across party lines because majority of the senators believe in his capacity and capability to protect the independence of the legislature and nurture the principle of separation of powers which undergirds the presidential system, justifies the endorsement by friends of Nigeria especially the countries from which we copy the essential elements of our democratic system.

• Bankole Omisore, Special Assistant to Senate President(Media), Abuja.

Kudos to Amosun’s Homes Charter

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IR: THE introduction of Home Owners Charter in Ogun State by Governor Ibikunle Amosun has helped to minimize disputes on ownership of landed properties, reduced stress being experienced in getting Certificate of Ocuupancy (CofO) and building permits which are now electronically documented.This is a good initiative for the benefit of the citizens.Indeed, it has revolutionized the property market and enabled access to loans in the bank.

There are swift and correct answer to frequently asked question by people through this programme, such as the process of obtaining C of O, acquisition of land, dangers of building without approval.

The Home Owners Charter template is highly recommended for other states in Nigeria.

• Adeshina Michael Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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COMMENTS

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RONICALLY, Nigeria’s luminary of letters, Nobelist Wole Soyinka, lost the election for the prestigious poetry chair at the University of Oxford for nonpoetry reasons. His defeat by British poet Simon Armitage ranks as a stunning literary upset, considering that 80-year-old Soyinka was a clear and comfortable front runner with an impressive number of 149 nominations. Armitage had 54 nominations. The election demonstrated that “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” Armitage, 52, polled 1221 votes, while Soyinka got 920 votes, followed by EA Stallings with 918 votes, Haldane Sean (206) and Gregson Ian (75). The Professor of Poetry is, among other things, expected to give a minimum of three lectures a year, for a stipend of £12,000, and the tenure is five years.

Perhaps the most thought-provoking reaction to the election result and Soyinka’s loss came from Andrew Franklin, who has published the laureate’s work. He reportedly described the outcome as ”collective madness,” and was quoted as saying, “Why couldn’t Oxford have voted for its first ever black professor of poetry?” Franklin added: “Simon Armitage is good but this is a collective failure of imagination. It just would have been nice to see Oxford do something different.

Maybe Oxford is just full of dull old farts who only vote for the obvious. I don’t think they have anything to be proud of here.” The question is: Was Soyinka’s colour a disadvantage?

The barely disguised hint at possible racism may not be an over-reaction. While the publicised antiSoyinka factors were his advanced age, his allegedly suspect commitment, and his failure to provide a tenure agenda, the deciding consideration may have been unstated and unspeakable. As his backers pointed out, the age argument is unsupported by the history of the over 300-year-old position, and it was not obligatory to supply a plan. On the question of his commitment,

‘The question is: Was Soyinka’s colour a disadvantage?...To be fair, the world has progressed to more benign forms of racial prejudice, even to the point of delusion built on the cloudy concept of post-racism. However, the reality of colour-related discrimination is still too real to be unreal.’

I

AM not happy. And I am almost certain that most Nigerians are not happy. In fact, as for many Nigerians, they are not only sad but confused. Seriously confused. I am not confused but very sad.

I really do not know what to make of our present circumstance in the face of a National Assembly that is poised to foist business as usual mantra on the country. And I must quickly exonerate members of the National Assembly on the excuse that whatever may be happening in the hallowed chambers is not entirely their own making. It is the game they met on ground that they are playing.

Millions trooped out in March and April yearning for change. And the change they wanted was not just merely substituting Jonathan with Buhari. It was not just substituting the PDP with APC. As far as Nigerians are concerned, and this has been proved several times, it does not matter who is leading them. Nigerians do not care whether their leader wore a heavy turban, an abeti-aja, a bowler hat or feathered cap. What they are interested in are provision of security, electricity, quality education, robust health care delivery, jobs, good roads and enhanced transportation infrastructure. They want also transparent leaders who, by personal example, will stamp out corruption which has defaced the nation and has made Nigerians disrespected all over the world.

This piece is not concerned about who the leader of the National Assembly is or the procedure that produced him or her. Political parties and key players in the parties know how they do their thing. What is however crucial and critical is that Nigerians can no longer tolerate or endure the character of the previous legislatures in the National Assembly. Nigerians no longer have stomach for the kind of legislators that would rush over a hundred bills in less than 10 minutes after fritting away four solid years.

A National Assembly is sometimes more purposeful and more powerful than the executive arm of government. I dare say that no executive arm of government can succeed without a strong and articulate and knowledgeable legislature.

What we have got in Nigeria has always been a mixture of the good, very good, the bad, very bad, and the ugly, extremely ugly characters populating the National Assembly and the legislatures in various states of the Federation.

There is no way we can separate the characters in our legislatures from the many ills that have plagued and continue to plague our polity. The simple oversight function which is a key component of the duties of a legislative assembly is criminally ignored. All that we hear are squabbles over salaries and perquisites of office.

If state assemblies and National Assembly had been thorough in the mandatory oversight functions, all the stealing, looting, brigandage and gross misappropriation by the ex-

'Collective madness' Soyinka himself said in self- defence: ”How curious that anyone would even speculate that I would allow busy and committed people - friends, colleagues and total strangers - to waste their time nominating and campaigning on my behalf for such a prestigious position if I were not serious about contesting.”

The path of reasoning by elimination leads to that dark possibility of discrimination on the basis of colour.

Indeed, it would require a transparent demographic delineation of the electors to disprove or prove the suggestion of racial bias. According to the University, “Voting is by members of Convocation… Convocation consists of all former student members of the University who have been admitted to a degree (other than an honorary degree) of the University, and all members of Congregation (the ‘dons’ parliament’ of the University).” Were there racists among the voters? Or, put differently, how many of the voters were slaves of racism?

To be fair, the world has progressed to more benign forms of racial prejudice, even to the point of delusion built on the cloudy concept of post-racism. However, the reality of colour-related discrimination is still too real to be unreal. If Soyinka’s towering literary stature was rubbished by racist dwarfs, it underlines the distance between humanity and a non-racist world.

And for a writer known for his passion for the promotion of human rights, it may be an eye-opener for Soyinka that the world of letters is not colour-blind, meaning that the right to skin colour has not become unchallengeable in that supposedly sublime sphere.

Was it payback time for Soyinka, the protester who registered his anti-racist punch in his marvellously and magically nuanced famous poem “Telephone Conversation”, first published in 1963? It is understandable that his supporters are puzzled. For a literator who in 1986 became the first black and African

winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, the world’s ultimate literary recognition and decoration, it is too bad to be true that he failed at Oxford.

It is worth recalling that the Nobel Committee painted Soyinka as a master of form and content “who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence.” There is no question that the accomplishment had the quality of a redeeming feature for the black man in a world corrupted by racism.

From a romantic perspective, a five-year period as poetry professor at Oxford, which is regarded as perhaps just short of the Nobel, would have been a befitting climax to Soyinka’s writing life. The only qualification is “that candidates be of sufficient distinction to be able to fulfil the duties of the post”.

The anti-climatic development raises the question whether Soyinka has suffered a decline in distinction which the Oxford voters validated.

It is interesting that Soyinka’s rapier wit and broad imagination, as well as his capacity for thoughtful parallelism, were brilliantly communicated in his postelection statement in which he admitted to having been “truly caught up in the excitement generated by this historic union of the poetic and democratic Muses.” His punch line was delivered with practiced subtlety: “Mind you, if only they’d allowed me to import a small team of our seasoned electoral jugglers from the home front….”

The reference to Nigeria’s crisis of democratic integrity was unmistakable. It was Soyinka the poet and playwright, but also Soyinka the political activist.

Undeniably, in Soyinka, there is a rare conflation of the artist and the activist at a superlative level; and it is to his credit that in the almost 30 years since he won the Nobel at age 52, he has not gone artistically cold and remains politically warm. It is noteworthy that Soyinka was Armitage’s age when he was crowned.

It remains to be seen how Armitage will champion the cause of poetry, but his statement submitted ahead of the contest indicated a useful direction. He wrote that he would take advantage of the position “to discuss the situation of poetry and poets in the 21st century, to address the obstacles and opportunities brought about by changes in education, changes in reading habits, the internet, poetry’s decreasing ‘market share’, poetry’s relationship with the civilian world and the (alleged) long, lingering death of the book”.

Armitage’s anxiety about the future of poetry in what Harold Bloom called “an age of visual overstimulation” is certainly appreciated, but Soyinka’s magnetism and lateral thinking are probably more appropriate for rescuing the genre at this juncture. It looks like the real losers are Oxford University and the art of poetry.

Business as usual

By Tola Adeniyi ecutive arm of government could not have taken place. But alas! The legislature and the executive have been arms in glove in perpetuating frivolous fraud in government.

The cry now is about lipstick and powder allowance, or money for agbada, babanriga, coat and tie with bowler hat to match. National Assembly members are up in arms about their so-called wardrobe allowance. It does not matter if the wardrobe allowance is N1,000. The truth of the matter is that a government that has not been able to pay the minimum wage of paltry N18,000 to its workers should not be talking of paying for the dresses of their legislators. Were the legislators going about naked before they were elected into the house? Is it now a sin that the poor masses that voted them into power should now be burdened with providing clothing for them? It is immoral and ridiculous to be talking of wardrobe allowance.

Whoever put the clause of wardrobe allowance in whichever law that created it should expunge it today! Today, not tomorrow!

We knew that unless the reputedly no-nonsense Buhari put in place machinery that will trim the huge salaries and benefits of the National Assembly members, his government would easily be overrun by the gluttony of the assembly. As I wrote in an earlier article titled The Shape of Things to Come, old members of the National Assembly are too wealthy and too powerful for the majority new comers. When it comes to Ghana-Must-Go politics, the old members in the assembly will overrun not only their Johnny-just-come colleagues but the executive, if care is not taken.

It will just be business as usual!

The thrust of this piece is actually about the so-called Constituency Allowance. Legislatures are given huge sums of money to provide amenities for their constituencies. We hear the legislators boasting about boreholes, motorcycles, sewing machines and sundry articles for their constituents.

What is the business of the legislator providing transformers and generators? What is the business of legislators providing blocks of classrooms? Are legislators contractors?

Are they elected to steal the functions of the executive or to replace the Minister of Works?

It is the greed and confusion in the polity that created room for this serious money guzzling anomaly. And once the legislators are bribed with these huge sums, they invariably turn blind eye on the looting that goes on in the execu-

tive and in the agencies of government.

The Constituency Allowance must be scrapped.

Quite frankly, what Nigerians wanted were part-time legislators that would be entitled to sitting allowance. And such part-time legislators are not required to meet for more than once in a month and 12 times in a year unless there is an emergency situation. Nigerians wanted legislators that have their own careers and businesses. Not jobless men and women who have turned political jobbery into money making venture.

Now we have legislators who even employ about four or five advisers/assistants/bag carriers! All these frivolities are paid for by citizens who can hardly feed their families.

Something urgent must be done to radically change the face and texture of the National Assembly and its sisters in the 36 states of the federation. Unless this is done, and done very quickly, the Buhari government will just be a continuation of the Jonathanian continuity. I must add that it will just be the continuation of the 16 years of looting, looting and looting. 16 years of incomparable waste.

May this government, voted in with the greatest enthusiasm not end up as a disappointment and betrayal!

Uncle Sad Sam taught us how to be sad!

‘The truth of the matter is that a government that has not been able to pay the minimum wage of paltry N18,000 to its workers should not be talking of paying for the dresses of their legislators. Were the legislators going about naked before they were elected into the house? Is it now a sin that the poor masses that voted them into power should now be burdened with providing clothing for them? It is immoral and ridiculous to be talking of wardrobe allowance’

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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COMMENTS

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ENEWED public interest in the salaries and allowances of lawmakers and political office holders should not be surprising. With the grim state of the nation’s economy; mounting arrears of salaries by governments and high cost of governance, it is difficult for the seemingly huge pay of legislators and other political office holders to continue to evade the prying eyes of the public.

This interest is not entirely new. It was a subject of heated debate around 2013. Then, there arose public outcry against the wide gulf between what was seen as the jumbo pay of federal legislators, vis-à-vis extant wage regime in the country. The actual pay of the lawmakers generated so much speculation that the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) had to come out with the schedule of salaries and allowances of members. Even with that, their actual salaries and allowances have since remained a highly misunderstood issue, often leading to opaque interpretations.

According to that schedule, the annual salaries and allowances of a senator amounted to N12.9 million. This is in addition to N24 million paid once in their tenure of four years. In this category fall such items as car loan, housing loan, terminal benefits etc.

For a member of the House of Representatives, his annual salaries and allowances amounted to N9.5 million in addition to N23.8 million paid once in four years for other loans and benefits.

With the change of government and dwindling national revenue resulting in backlog of salaries; it did not take time before the matter resurfaced. It has resurged with such momentum and frenzy that the impression now gaining ground is that the cut is a major

‘It amounts to chasing shadows to nurse the feeling that these salaries and allowances are the real avenues for fleecing the government. They only constitute legitimate and known sources. Nothing has been said of the illegitimate and unknown sources’

A

Emeka OMEIHE 08112662675 email: EmekaOmeihe@yahoo.com

Legislators’ pay and other matters

step towards plugging the drain in our national revenue chain.

Not unexpectedly, governments, persons and institutions have bought into the idea as given fillip by emerging reactions to it. Central to all these, is the impression that by slashing these salaries and allowances, more money would be freed for national development. Kano State Governor Abdullahi Gunduje took the lead by slashing the salaries and allowances of political appointees by 50 per cent ostensibly to enable the state get enough funds for development. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State placed himself on half salary and cut his travelling allowances by 50 per cent until salaries and allowance owed workers are paid.

This is as the RMAFC has set up a committee to begin a downward review of salaries and allowances for political, public and judicial office holders. The bug seems to have caught up with everybody with the outlawed Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta MEND threatening to resume hostilities should members of the National Assembly refuse to reduce the huge salaries and allowances that accrue to them. As if responding to this threat, the Senate has also floated a committee to arrive at the same purpose.

All these concerns can be understood given their convergence on the common ground that we need to make some sacrifice for the country to come out of the woods. If these stem from genuine concerns for attitudinal change in the way our citizens hitherto conceived affairs of the public realm, this would amount

MNESTY International, the world’s foremost human rights campaigner, must be surprised at the energetic reaction of the Nigerian people and organisations to its report of June 3, on the conduct of the Nigerian armed forces in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists. In the report, Amnesty charged Nigerian soldiers and their commanders with gross human rights violations, including execution of some 7,000 innocent people for not producing Boko Haram members who killed their comrades in arms in their villages and towns. Even the Nigerian human rights community reputed for its criticisms of the Nigerian state was in the forefront of the denunciation of the Amnesty report which also calls for the arrest and prosecution of soldiers, middle and senior military commanders, including the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, and the erstwhile Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, and their successors. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to look into the allegations and treat them with the seriousness they deserve.

Nigerians, irrespective of their differences and political leanings are united in the criticism against the Amnesty report. This is one of the rare instances in our recent national history where national consensus has been reached so easily.

The reason is simple: Boko Haram is a national embarrassment of profound proportions. All of us are casualties, to use the language of J.P. Clarke, the outstanding Nigerian poet, playwright and essayist. In other words, those who used to think that the insurgency was a north-eastern affair were in grave error. One of the first officers to be felled in the war against Boko Haram was a young gallant captain from Ozubulu in Anambra State in the South-east. The highest ranking officer to be gunned in the battle against Boko Haram was a brilliant Lt Colonel from Uke in Idemmili North Local Government Area, also of Anambra State, a veteran of the Liberian and Sierra Leone civil wars who had just returned from China where he underwent an advanced course in guerrilla warfare. Various Igbo communities with their sons and daughters in the north lost quite a number of them when Boko Haram terrorists on occasion opened fire on them in places like Niger State and Adamawa State. The most senior officer being tried right now for cowardice in the war against the terrorists is Brigadier General Ransome-Kuti, from Abeokuta in Ogun State. To state the obvious once again, we all are in various ways casualties of the Boko Haram menace.

Nigeria may be far from being a united political entity, but the war against the insurgents is bringing the people together.

Bertrand Russel, one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century, has called our attention to how crises tend to unite people. In his BBC prestigious Reith Lectures, Russel argued that passengers on a bus may not be talking to each other because they are strangers, but they would definitely come

to significant progress.

Before now, the tendency was to fleece and impoverish the government for the benefit of the individual and his primordial unit.

That has been the basis for the unmitigated corruption that virtually brought this nation to its knees. Political offices are seen as avenues for self-enrichment rather than service to the humanity.

If emerging concerns for behavioural shift represent real commitment to prudence, selfless services and patriotism, then we have every reason to hope there will be light at the end of the tunnel. There is a glimmer of hope that we are beginning to enthrone a common bound of selfless services.

That should be something to cheer.

No doubt, a reduction in salaries and allowances in the proportion that has been proposed, will free some fund for the development of the states and the nation as the case may be. But it remains to be imagined the positive difference it will make in our overall national development matrix given the figures above.

It is not certain what constitutes the salaries and allowances of political office holders in the states. But if my little stint in that capacity some years back is any thing to go by, not much savings would be made out of such salary cuts. It will even result in the negative by impoverishing the appointees thereby laying them vulnerable to thievery in the most daring manner. The effect will turn out counterproductive. It would appear the entire idea is propelled more by politi-

cal expediency rather than sound economic calculations. They promise very little in their overall contributions to the economic health of governments both state and federal.

But like ever Nigerian thing, every body has bought into the frenzy and wants to make political capital of it. The key thing is that all manner of groups want these salaries and allowances reduced. Once that has been achieved, its teleological purpose has been served. And nothing more!

More fundamentally, all the noise about pay cut is premised on the flawed thinking they constitute the real avenues for fleecing the nation. One is afraid this view is a highly misplaced one. It cannot stand the weight of evidence in the face of the stupendous wealth lawmakers and political office-holders are known be flaunting around town. They cannot account for the scandalous display of opulence by legislators and political office holders in and out of office.

They count for little in terms of the funds to run elections in many parts of the country.

Worries have been expressed on why people still seek legislative offices in the face of the prohibitive cost of running elections. In some states, it runs into billions to run for a senatorial seat. What is the fraction of the salaries and allowances of a senator to N1billion for instance, to expect it is the main source of recouping his electoral investments?

It amounts to chasing shadows to nurse the feeling that these salaries and allowances are the real avenues for fleecing the government.

They only constitute legitimate and known sources. Nothing has been said of the illegitimate and unknown sources. These are the areas the prying eyes of a government of change should focus. There is so much corruption in the exercise of legislators’ oversight functions.

President Buhari captured it succinctly when he spoke of financial recklessness and lack of accountability due to the official abandonment of all financial and administrative instructions in parastatals and agencies. All these avenues must be plugged for real progress to be made.

But then, the larger public must queue into this change mantra for it to be meaningful.

Much of those making noise about jumbo pay, are the same people that at every level of the electoral process, ask for money before discharging their civic duties. You cannot take money in lieu of your votes or support and expect sanity from the system. The sacrifice expected of lawmakers can only endure if there is positive and permanent change of attitude on electoral matters from the larger society.

Boko Haram: Amnesty and the military

By Kayode Mustapha together to fight an enemy if any of them is attacked by an external force. Nigerians have been denouncing the Amnesty report like one man because, among other things, the report would seem to provide a tremendous propaganda weapon to the terrorists. The report is ominously silent on the unspeakable atrocities committed by the dangerous sect daily against defenceless members of society, a development which brings to mind the ongoing savagery in the Middle East by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which interestingly attracts strong condemnation from all and sundry around the world. The new Amnesty report which demands the prosecution of top military officers for war crimes is reminiscent of the report by the same human rights organization in 2009 which strongly condemned the Nigerian police for killing the founder and leader of extremely the dangerous Boko Haram sect, Mohammed Yusuf, and demanded severe punishment for the security men but said nothing about the scores of policemen butchered like animals in an unprecedented orgy of violence which rocked Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, for days. Consequently, Nigerians often wonder if Amnesty International is on the side of terrorists.

True, the Nigerian military is fighting the terrorists from a disadvantaged position. Our soldiers are trained to fight in conventional war where the enemy has a known territory, wears a uniform and to some extent obeys rules of engagement. Boko Haram is composed of sheer terrorists, and the brainwashed membership engages in guerrilla warfare. While the military takes its time in firing against the enemy so as to minimize collateral damage as much as possible, terrorists do not give a hoot if innocent persons are felled down by their bullets. Like armed robbers under siege by security men, Boko Haram members just spray bullets on all and sundry, delighting in collateral damage. As far as they are concerned, women and children are targets, a fair game. They routinely disguise as pious Muslim women and frequently strap improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on callow eightyear-olds, turning them into cannon fodder.

Soldiers who fight in such circumstances anywhere in the world are bound to be edgy. They could tamper with human rights easily. The truth is that even in the best of conventional wars, there are always gross human rights abuses. As any American soldier who has been on a duty of Iraq since 2003 can tell you in confidence, the reported human rights violations by American soldiers which Washington reported are only a tip of the iceberg, the least of such awful abuses

which occurred on a grand scale. The concept of espirit de corps compels commanders not to escalate the reports to higher authorities. War is no tea party anywhere. Thousands of innocent lives are at stake every minute. In most cases, the political authorities turn a blind eye to such reports because they do not want to demoralize the young men and women in the firing line. Both President Richard Nixon and his secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, were aware of the terrible things which American fighters were doing in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s against the locals.

Still, the Amnesty International’s allegations of improper conduct against the Nigerian military should not be dismissed with a cavalier wave of the hand. All soldiers, including those fighting in wars, must abide by the Geneva Convention, the rule of law and due process. The lives and dignity of fighting soldiers are as important as those of civilians. What riles most Nigerians about the Amnesty report is that the human rights body seems to be on a mission to demoralize and demonise the Nigerian military which has over the decades given a wonderful account of itself in various countries of the world. Our past and serving top commanders appear to have been marked down for ruination, accusing them of complicity in atrocities even when all evidence suggests they have been absolutely ignorant of the alleged human rights violations. The Amnesty report seems to have provided Boko Haram a propaganda stunt which former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously called the oxygen of life for terrorists the world over. Nigerians deserve better.

• Mustapha, a retired naval officer, sent in this article from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

‘What riles most Nigerians about the Amnesty report is that the human rights body seems to be on a mission to demoralize and demonise the Nigerian military which has over the decades given a wonderful account of itself in various countries of the world. Our past and serving top commanders appear to have been marked down for ruination’

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

BUSINESS THE NATION

E-mail:- bussiness@thenationonlineng.net

THE CEO

ISSUES

‘Outsourcing will help telcos to cut cost’

Planned scrapping of aviation ministry: Matters arising - P. 29

- P. 37

News Brief

N600b debts may kill construction industry

Govt plans increased gas supply to Lagos THE Federal Govern-ment is working to make up the natural gas supply shortfall of 400 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d) to the Lagos axis for power plants and other industrial concerns before the end of this year, it was learnt.

–Page 26

By Toba Agboola

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AfDB, Nigeria partner on job creation THE President, African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has said he would work with Nigeria and the rest of the continent to build infrastructure.

–Page 27

Insurers grow business to N319b ESTIMATED value of business underwritten by the insurance industry increased to N319 billion as against N285 billion posted in 2013, representing a 12 per cent increase.

–Page 28

DATA STREAM COMMODITY PRICES Oil Cocoa

$54/barrel $2,686.35/metric ton

Coffee

¢132.70/pound

Cotton

¢95.17pound

Gold

$1,396.9/troy

Sugar

$163/lb RATES

Inflation

8.4%

Treasury Bills 10.58%(91d) Maximum lending 30% Prime lending

15.87%

Savings rate

3%

91-day NTB

15%

Time Deposit

5.49%

MPR

13%

Foreign Reserve

$34.5b

•From left: Business Development Manager, Skye Bank Plc, Toyin Street, Ikeja, Mrs Cherly Orhadje; winner of Skye Rainbow essay competition, Master Adedeji Adesida; Regional Director, Ikeja, Skye Bank Plc, Mr. Wole Aderinkomi; and the winner’s mother, Mrs Mary Adesida, during the presentation of cheques to Adesida in Lagos.

NDIC urges tougher sanctions against erring banks’ officials T HE Nigeria Deposit In surance Corporation (NDIC) is rooting for stringent sanctions against banks with weak or poor corporate governance to discourage bankers from greedy behaviours Its Managing Director/ Chief Executive, Alhaji Umaru Ibrahim, who spoke while reviewing the various laws governing banking operations in Nigeria, that is, the Banks and Other Financial Act (BOFIA) 1991, the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), the NDIC Act, the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) Act and the Failed Banks Act, expressed the need for more stringent sanctions to serve as deterrent to irresponsible behaviours.

He cited the recent move by the regulatory authority in the United Kingdom (UK) to enhance supervision and man-

By Nduka Chiejina, Assistant Editor, Abuja

agement of banks with emphasis on personal responsibilities of directors.

In this regard, both the UK companies Acts 2006 and the recent tough new banking rules are compelling some bank directors to rethink their suitability and competence to remain as bank directors.

Some directors actually resigned.

The NDIC chief noted that to establish a robust and stable financial system to promote national development, supervisory and regulatory authorities also accorded priority attention to sound corporate governance in their own operations.

Already, some of the initiatives put in place by the NDIC to promote sound corporate

governance, Ibrahim said: “included adoption of a charter and code of corporate governance for its Board, compliance with the code of corporate governance for all regulators under the auspices of the Financial Services Regulation Coordinating Committee, code of conduct for its bank examiners and compliance with provisions of relevant Acts of Federal Government on disclosure and accountability.”

With these initiatives at hand, Ibrahim charged stakeholders in the banking sector to pay greater attention to sound corporate governance practices to prevent systemic crisis in the sector.

Ibrahim gave the charge while delivering an address at the Executive Breakfast Meeting of the Society for Corporate Governance, where he

identified the failure of sound corporate governance as one of the factors responsible for the 2009 Nigerian banking crisis.

He recalled that the special examination on the 24 banks by the CBN and NDIC revealed that 10 of the 24 banks were distressed as a result of many factors among which was poor corporate governance.

“The special examination revealed that boards and executive managements in some banks were not equipped to run their institutions as their ineffectiveness manifested in the form overbearing influence of some board members, ineffectiveness of board committees; non-adherence to the CBN code of corporate governance and weak ethical standards amongst others,” he said.

Nigeria spends N93b on industrial chemicals import

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AST year, Nigeria spent over N93 billion on the importation of various quantities of industrial laboratory chemicals, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMDC) has said.

Its Director-General, Dr. Hussaini Doko Ibrahim, lamented that of this, N89.5 billion was for the importation of 10.6million metric tonnes of copper sulphate which shouldn’t have been had the Federal Government done well by developing the sector.

He noted that of over 500 various industrial chemicals used in the country with over

By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie

70 commonly used, the chemical needs of the country are imported in spite that the country has comparative advantage in terms of local raw materials availability to produce some of them.

He pointed out that exploiting the comparative advantage in developing copper sulphates in commercial production level in the country will result in huge savings of foreign exchange and massive employment.

On the relevance of the industrial chemical, he said it has various applications in important areas ranging

from agriculture to medicine and other miscellaneous areas as soil steriliser, mixture for use as fungicides and the preservative for wooden fruit boxes.

Others are in public health and medicine, malaria prevention and as an additive to book binding pastes and glues for insecticidal purposes.

Ibrahim pledged the preparedness of RMRDC to collaborate with any interested investor to actualise the full potential of the sector, noting that the economy can only grow to its full potential if the sector is exploited.

Chairman, Chemical &

Pharmaceutical Sector, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Bayo Osibo, said the fortunes and growth of the chemical sector has been erratically affected by inconsistent intervention by government policies, by way of tariff manipulations, insufficient resource allocation, and prohibitive import restrictions.

He regretted that out of the over 250 researches carried out by the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIRRO), Lagos only about 50 of the technologies have made significant and laudable impact in the chemical industry.

HE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed concern over the N600billion debts being owed the construction industry by the three tiers of government.

The workers said if the debts were not settled urgently, the sector might go into extinction.

Factional President of the group, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said this had made it difficult for the companies to pay salaries, adding that mass retrenchment was imminent.

He said the situation had caused delays in delivery of construction jobs across the federation and has, ultimately, put the industry in a bad shape to the extent that companies were being forced to sack due to their inability to cater for their workers.

Wabba said the sector was working at 30 per cent capacity, following the mass retrenchment due to the delay and non-payment of certified jobs by the government.

He said: “The construction industry, for instance, is owed by all the three tiers of government over N600 billion. How will the industry survive if after delivering services they don’t get paid?

How will workers salaries be paid as at when due if employers don’t get paid for their services?

“The sector is not finding it easy; the bigger ones and smaller ones are finding it extremely difficult. In the construction industry, they are working below 30 per cent capacity.”

He said it was distressing to observe that many firms were just going to work for the sake of continuity as many of them were on the verge of collapse due to huge debts owed by the federal, states and local governments.

“Some of them have closed shops. Some of them only go to office for the purpose of continuity. We wish to bring to the notice of President Muhammadu Buhari; the Senate and House of Representatives that the construction companies are working at 30 per cent capacity following the mass retrenchment of workers due to the delay/ non-payment of certified jobs by various arms of government.”

He urged the Federal Government to put genuine efforts in place to revitalise the economy which he said had witnessed artificial growth.

Wabba said corruption was at the centre of Nigeria’s problem, urged the government to take steps to bring down corruption and reduce waste in the system.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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BUSINESS NEWS

NSE to revoke 88 stockbrokers’ licences

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HE Nigerian Stock Ex change (NSE) is set to commence the revocation of dealing licences and expulsion of not fewer than 88 stockbroking firms, about one-third of registered stockbroking firms on Nigeria’s only stock exchange.

A new rule on the revocation of dealing licences and expulsion of inactive stockbroking firms comes into effect today, in what could trigger the largestever cleansing of the Augean stable at the stock market.

The total number of previously revoked licences stood at 13.

A circular obtained at the weekend by The Nation indicated that the Exchange would begin the implementation of the new rule and amendments on revocation of dealing licences today. The circular was signed by head, legal and regulations, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Tinuade Awe. The rules had been approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last February but the NSE delayed the implementation.

The Nation’s check indicated

By Taofeek Salako

that the NSE has already determined 88 out of the 308 stockbroking firms on its dealing members’ list as inactive. A report on dealing members also obtained at the weekend indicated that of 308 stockbroking licences, 220 were active while the others inactive.

A breakdown of the inactive licences included 50 operationally inactive firms, 20 inactive dealing firms deregistered by SEC and 18 licences that had been dormant and were not activated since issuance. These fall within the purview of revocation and expulsion due to inactivity, which takes off today.

According to the new rules, a copy of which was obtained

by The Nation, where a dealing member is inactive for a period of six consecutive months, the Exchange shall revoke the license of the dealing member.

“Under no circumstances shall a dealing member cease to carry out its day to day business activities for which it was licensed to op-

erate without any reasonable cause,” the rules stated.

A dealing member may be deemed inactive voluntarily and involuntarily. Voluntary inactivity occurs where the firm has not recorded any trading activity without being suspended by the Exchange or SEC. Involuntary inactivity occurs where the firm has been suspended by the NSE or SEC for any infraction.

However, where a firm has been involuntarily inactive for the stipulated period of six months, the Exchange shall exercise its discretion in determining whether to revoke the firm’s dealing licence.

“Where the Exchange revokes a dealing member’s license, The Exchange shall immediately commence the process of expelling such dealing member,” the rules stipulated.

Besides, the new rules empower the NSE to suspend any authorised clerk or revoke the registration of any authorised clerk who has breached any rules or regulations of the Exchange or is found to be complicit in any

breach of such rules or regulations.

Also, under the new amendments, suspension of any stockbroking firm by SEC will lead to immediate suspension by the NSE while revocation of any broker’s registration will lead to expulsion of the firm by the NSE. “Without prejudice to all the remedies open to the dealing member, where a dealing member is suspended by the Commission, as soon as The Exchange is notified, it shall immediately commence the process of suspension or expulsion of the dealing member.

“Where a Dealing Member’s registration is revoked by the Commission, as soon as the Exchange is notified, it shall immediately commence the process of expulsion of the dealing member,” the rules stated.

A source at the NSE said the Exchange is committed to implementing its rules, noting that the Exchange was the one that originated the revocation and expulsion rules.

The inactive stockbroking firms which licences may be

revoked included Aims Asset Management Limited, Allbond Investment Limited, Arian Capital Management Limited, Bauchi Investment Corp. Sec Limited, Bytofel Trust & Securities Limited, Cadington Securities Limited, CEB Securities Limited, Consolidated Investment Limited, Dakal Services Limited, Davandy Finance & Securities Limited, Decanon Investment Limited, Emi Capital Resources Limited, Empire Securities Limited, Falcon Securities Limited, First Alstate Securities Limited, Fittco Securities Limited, Gombe Securities Limited, HIP Asset Management Limited (Formerly Kakawa Asset Mgt Ltd), International Standard Securities Limited, ITIS Securities Limited, LB Securities Limited, Lion Stockbrokers Limited, LMB Stockbrokers Limited, Mact Securities Limited, Maninvest Asset Management Plc, Maven Asset Management Limited, Metropolitan Trust Nigeria Limited, Midpoint Capital Limited, ML Securities Limited and Monument Sec & Finance Limited.

‘Open skies ‘ll empower indigenous carriers’

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

T

HE implementation of an Open Skies Policy for Africa will enhance capacity for indigenous carriers, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), has said.

Its Chairman, Board of Trustees Mr Akintunde Akala, who spoke in Lagos, said the policy would also protect indigenous carriers from the invasion of African air transport market by foreign mega carriers.

He said until such a policy was implemented, foreign carriers would continue to rip off African travellers with air fares that are not competitive owing largely to lack of capacity by carriers in Africa.

He said such a policy would enable African carriers forge the relevant technical, financial and operational partnership that would make them stronger on regional flight operations before going into intercontinental operations.

Akala said African governments had not done enough to encourage their carriers through appropriate bilateral policies that will protect their carriers from the predatory and discriminatory practices of foreign carriers.

One way African carriers could protect the lucrative market is to enter into code share agreement and leverage on the benefits of economies of scale that would make them share costs , profits and foster development through appropriate partnership.

He said the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) should play a major role in ensuring the proper implementation of relevant bilateral air services agreements to make Africa a single market for its carriers .

The appropriate measure to be adopted, he said, was to remove hurdles that restrict the movement of passengers on the continent to accelerate economic development.

•From left: Head, Marketing and Communications, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc; Mrs. Nkiru Olumide-Ojo; Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Bank, Mr. Uzoma Dozie; Director, Banking Payment System Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Dipo Fatokun; Director, Risk Management, CBN, Mrs. Folakemi Fatogbe; and Chief Internal Auditor, Union Bank, Dr. David Isiavwe, at the Nigeria Electronic Fraud Forum (NeFF) meeting by the CBN in Abuja.

Fed Govt plans increase of gas supply to Lagos

T

HE Federal Government is working to make up the natural gas supply shortfall of 400 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d) to the Lagos axis for power plants and other industrial concerns before the end of this year, it was learnt.

The Group Executive Director, Gas and Power, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr David Ige, told The Nation that the state-run oil firm is working hard to ensure that the gas supply gap is completely closed before end of August to improve power supply.

He said the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline Project is expected to be completed within that period, which will significantly boost supply to the Lagos axis.

He also noted that pricing issue is no longer responsible for inadequate gas supply for domestic usage including the power plants as the current domestic gas price is competitive.

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

He said: “We are making a lot of progress in terms of constructions on both the East and West pipelines. We expect that

by December next year, we would have the mechanical completion of the pipeline and by early 2017, we will start to flow gas through them.

“Lagos pipeline is almost completed, we expect that between now and end of August that project would have been completed. We have completed and inaugurated Lagos to Oben, completed Emure to Itoki and the bit that remains now is from the Benin end to Emure and that is progressing very well. The expectation is that before end of August this year, the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline would have been completed and would have doubled the capacity of the pipeline to two billion standard cubic feet per day (bscf/d) of gas. That volume will make it the biggest pipeline in Africa.

“On the Eastern side, we have gas. For example, we have gas at Gbarain-Ubie power plant in Bayelsa State, which we hope to commission shortly, we have gas at Omoku in Rivers State, which is awaiting the power plant and we have gas at Egbema in Imo State. The gas supply to the power sector was over Ibscf/d and we expect that by the end of this year, we will make significant increase in that.

“Cumulatively, we produce 2bscf/d and some of the gas we have available is probably stranded may be because some of the power plants are not ready. Over the next couple of months, we will see a bit of increase in gas supply. However, not all these gas volumes are in active generation today.

It is either the power plant is not ready or the power evacuation is not ready.”

Ige also said contrary to reports, pricing is no more responsible for lack of gas supply. He noted that the chal-

lenge is that gas consumers don’t pay for the gas they take; hence the gas debt was so huge at a time that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had to intervene.

He said: “I’m not sure gas pricing is an issue for producers and consumers because gas price has been increased to export price in Nigeria. The issue today is not pricing really.

What has remained a challenge in Nigeria is the mounting debt because the gas price is not being paid by the consumers at the rate they supposed to pay.

A couple of months ago, the CBN put a programme in place to extinguish some of the legacy debts. But we will ensure that the new volumes that are being supplied are actually being paid by the end consumers through power operators back to gas suppliers. I believe that right now the issue is not the price; it is the collection and the payment. Our price now is at par with that of Henry Hub.”

Oil swap not cause of refineries’ failure, says NNPC

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

T

HE Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora tion (NNPC) has debunked reports attributing the failure of the refineries to the its crude oil Swaps and Offshore Processing Agreements (OPAs).

The crude oil Swaps and Offshore Processing Agreements (OPAs) are arrangements made by the Federal Government in which crude oil is exchanged for refined product, or crude oil taken overseas for refining by oil trading companies, and NNPC pays the refining and other incidental costs.

A source at the NNPC who spoke to The Nation on the issue, said it is important to set the record straight in the light of the unverified reports. “The reports are well-coordinated agenda aimed at creating new layers of distraction to cover up decades of political intrigues, corruption and sabotage, which have put paid to all attempts to revamp the four refineries.”

The source said the history of the nation’s refineries had been dogged by social, political and systemic failures, which had defied solutions in spite of efforts by past administrations. “Our refineries have a history that is known to all. Attributing the failure of the refineries to the Swap and OPA contracts, which only emerged some four years ago, is the height of falsehood.”

According to the source, the refineries woes began when the administration of the late General Sani Abacha awarded the controversial Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) contract of the Port Harcourt Refinery and Petrochemicals Company to a prominent politician and businessman. The contract was criticised and it led to major labour disputes.

From that point on, successive governments have spent billions either carrying out ineffective TAMs or inconclusive privatisation attempts, he added.

“The woes of the refineries were further compounded by the insurgency that erupted in the Niger Delta with militants regularly blowing up crude pipelines, especially the Kaduna refinery line. The rampart insecurity in the region gave rise to widespread vandalism on crude and product pipelines resulting in a booming illegal bunkering trade for arms business, incessant refinery shutdowns and well documented fatal fires that took the lives of hundreds of ordinary citizens,” he said.

The source also said former President Olusegun Obasanjo was frustrated by the inability of the refineries to operate effectively despite pumping in millions of dollars to revamp them. Tired of fighting militants and chasing illegal bunkering moguls, he attempted to privatise them but the exercise was hijacked, only to be carried out at the final days of his administration.

When the late President Umaru Yar’Adua came on board, he reversed the TAM contract on the Kaduna and Port Harcourt refineries awarded it to a local oil consortium because the process was considered not to be transparent.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

27

BUSINESS NEWS

AfDB, Nigeria to partner on job creation T

HE President, African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has said he would work with Nigeria and the rest of the continent to build infrastructure, increase productivity and create jobs to build resilience in the economies.

Speaking in Lagos at the weekend, during a send off party held by the Nigeria Agriculture Business Group (NABG), Adesina said urgent action was needed to restore productivity and economic growth to ensure sustained improvements to living standards.

He underlined his resolve to make power, food and agriculture his major priorities, pointing out that Africa would become a global power house in food and agriculture. He saidAfrica would be green economy in his tenure.

Infrastructure, he noted, drives economic growth by increasing meas-

By Daniel Essiet

ured economic activity and generating employment.

Although business conditions have been challenging, he maintained that considerable long-term economic development potential exist, adding that what African governments needed to do, was planning for future growth by understanding potential growth opportunities and undertaking economic modeling to explore significant opportunities to grow and strengthen their economies.

He said pursuing the right economic policies and programmes would lay the foundation and steer the economy on a path to higher growth.

Going forward, he said the nation has benefitted from the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA ), adding that countries like Rwanda are trying to model their agricultural programmes after the

ATA. Adesina said the Nigerian government introduced the electronic (ewallet) system of allocating Government-subvented seeds and fertilisers directly to farmers, and losening the stranglehold of corrupt middlemen on farmers, adding that some countries in Africa want to emulate Nigeria.

He said the ADB has been very keen in pushing for more private sector involvement, adding that he is ready to work with NABG to actualise the nation’s dream of food sufficiency.

He said his election as AfDB President should be seen as a call to serve and responsibility to lead Africa. He thanked the former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians for their tremendous support towards his election.

NABG Coordinator, Emmanuel Ijewere, expressed optimism that Adesina will reposition the conti-

nental bank to an enviable level.

According to him, the group arose out of the need on the part of investors in the agricultural sector to have a strong platform for articulating a purpose-driven vision for the sector, as well as partner with Government to make farming and allied industry, more attractive, secure and profitable, with a view to achieving the set goals in the Federal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).

He said the group has seen demonstrable purposefulness in the current government’s leadership in the agricultural sector, and is willing to work with it to promote the interest of Nigerians.

He praised Adesina for laying the foundation for the nation’s prosperity through ATA. Members of NABG,who witnessed the event,included, the Managing Director, Origin Group, Samuel Johnson Samuel and the Nigerian Agribusiness Group.

•Dr. Adesina

He said the programme has demonstrated its immense support for agric, adding that measures are underway to revitalise the nation’s economy and that his work is already paying off.

He stressed that the agriculture industry remains essential if any country wants to have a highly productive services sector .

‘Olam is largest investor in local rice production’

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LAM Nigeria has made sub stantial investment in agri culture, thus earning the status of one of the leading local rice produceras in the country, its Head, Corporate and Government Rela-

tions, Ade Adefeko, has said.

Adeleko, who spoke at the just Kano Trade Fair, said Olam’s Nige rian rice brand - Mama’s Pride and Chef’s Choice, dominating the one day event. The brands were so well

received that they sold over 125 bags at the one-day fair, he added.

On his impression of the fair, Adefeko said: ‘We are pleased with the outcome of the fair. We call for more of such activities to help

•From left: Business Manager, Ogudu Branch, Sterling Bank Plc, Mrs. Toyin Olateru; Head of Secondary, The Childville, Ogudu, Mrs. Eta Ezinwanne;, Governing Council, The Childville, Ogudu, Mr. Ayomide Smith; Head of Primary, The Childville, Ogudu, Mrs. Bamigboye Bunmi and a member, sOne Education, Sterling Bank Plc, Mrs. Zoe Jibunoh, during The Childville drama presentation of ‘Agho Obaseki’ in Lagos.

boost rice production, increase awareness and improve patronage of Nigerian brands of rice.’

On the acceptance of his company’s brand of locally produced rice brands, Adeleke said: ‘‘as per our brands, generally, people love Mama’s Pride because of its packaging, grain length and brightness.’’

The organisers of the event expresed joy with the outcome of the event, particularly the active participation of local players led

by Olam Nigeria. The primary organiser, represented by Team Leader, Growth and Employment in States Program, Tunde Oderinde, said ‘Olam Nigeria has reinforced its position as the biggest local rice player in the country, with an investment outlay in billions of naira as it has the most coordinated and attractive stand at the trade fair. The outcome of the fair gives hope for local rice production and packaging because there is noticeable enthusiasm both from farmers, millers and consumers.’

Similarly, the Managing Director/CEO, Bank of Industry,

Rasheed Olaoluwa who graced the event as Special Guest, observed that the quality of the fair is remarkable, given that the local rice industry is yet at a developmental stage.

He noted that the firm commitment of conglomerates like Olam Nigeria to the development of the rice industry in Nigeria is encouraging. ‘From what Olam Nigeria demonstrated at this fair, the level and quality of investment made by the company is an indicator that Nigeria can look to the future with optimism as far as the rice industry is concerned,’ he said.

Oderinde’s and Olaoluwa’s observations indicate that investment in the rice segment, led by Olam is not going unnoticed, while the enthusiasm that greeted the local rice brands of Olam affirmed the huge market for local rice brands if the quality is good.

On his company’s impressive showing at the fair, Adefeko said that ‘these giant strides are possible because Olam Nigeria has made huge investments in agriculture, particularly in local rice production.

EMPOWERMENT CLINIC

X-raying ‘I belong to everyone and…nobody’ (2) Last week, we said since President Muhammadu Buhari delivered his inaugural speech on Friday May 29, 2015, the statement “I belong to everyone and I belong to nobody” has continued to generate reactions regarding the intended meaning. We analysed the literal meaning and stressed the fact that the statement radiates metaphoric meaning. We added that context is critical to meaning.

Nigerian English and elasticity of meanings The major challenge we have in Nigeria with elasticity of meanings of such a statement is due to our over-reliance on constituent words for meaning, over-generalisation of meaning, etc. For instance, “Do-or-die” is a positive idiom that means “Strong determination” in British English. But we use and interpret it negatively in Nigerian English because of the word “Die”.

Sometimes ago, I was compelled to link people up to the online comment of the captain of one of the English clubs that survived relegation on the last day due to exceptional team determination.

The captain showered praises on

By Goke Ilesanmi

the team-mates thus, “Congratulations guys. Our do-or-die attitude has saved us from relegation”. Does it mean he was insulting his teammates for doing a positive thing?

No. We have also wrongly substituted the word “Send-forth” for the correct version “Send-off” because we consider the adverbial particle/preposition “off” as negative. I wonder why we have not changed the school admission “cutoff” mark to “cut-forth” mark!

Extension Most Nigerians also interpret the idiom “No love lost” to mean that the love between two people is intact. This idiom actually means that two people involved hate each other, that the love does not exist in the first place not to talk of losing it. Meanings of expressions are often not based on meanings of individual words but embedded. On a radio sports programme some years ago, one of the ex-Super Eagles players was asked about his relationship with another ex-Super Eagles player, he said their relationship was intact and also used the idiom “No

love lost” to emphasise it. What a self-contradiction!

In the same vein, the expression “Play the Devil’s advocate” is misinterpreted in Nigerian English because we rely on individual words for its interpretation. The fact that it contains the word “Devil” further makes us commit the blunder. The dictionary meaning of “Play the Devil’s advocate” is: “to pretend to disagree with somebody in order to have good discussion about something”. But in Nigerian English, it is wrongly used to mean that somebody is defending an offender, like an advocate or lawyer.

Psychological efficacy Most people have expressed disappointment with the President for saying “I belong to nobody”.

But in the context in which it was uttered, it was actually not intended to insult his associates but to accommodate or woo his antagonists, especially given the tension that had mounted ahead of the elections and before he finally took over on May 29. It was psychologically and morally right for him to assure the multiplicity of ethnic nationalities, political par-

ties and others that he is not the exclusive property of just a few people but belongs to everyone, so that he can been seen as a rallying point of different interests. The need to assure everybody of collective ownership and equality became imperative considering that he had been accused of tribal, religious and political bigotry.

Last words On a note of analytical finality, in everyday conversation, misunderstanding often manifests because speakers make wrong assumptions regarding what their listeners know or ought to know.

At such points, the conversation can break down and may need to be modified through questioning, clarification and cross-checking.

Despite the intended or contextual meaning, one major shortcoming of the statement “I belong to everyone and I belong to nobody” is its ambiguity, that is, double meanings. Also since “I belong to everyone” has full meaning, it is redundant or unnecessary to add “I belong to nobody”.

PS: For those making inquiries about our Public Speaking, Busi-

•Ilesanmi

ness Presentation and Professional Writing Skills programme, please visit the website indicated on this page for details.

•GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker/MC, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker and Career Management Coach. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425 Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com

28

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

THE NATION

BUSINESS INSURANCE CIIN confab to hold July 26

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• From left: Wiggle; Managing Director, Consolidated Hallmark Insurance Plc, Mr. Eddie Efekoha and Managing Director, Staco Insurance Plc, Mr. Sakiru Oyefeso, at the 44th Annual General Meeting of NIA in Lagos.

Insurers grow business to N319b

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STIMATED value of business underwritten by the insurance industry increased to N319 billion as against N285 billion posted in 2013, representing a 12 per cent increase.

This is just as insurance companies settled claims amounting to N326.25 billion between 2011 and last year.

A breakdown of the claims shows that N70.71 billion was paid in 2011; N72.20 billion in 2012; N92.95 billion in 2013 and N90.39 in 2014.

The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) stated this in its 2014, 2015 annual report and accounts presented at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.

NIA Chairman, Godwin Wiggle, noted that the industry was plagued by some challenges.

He said: “As we know, the insurance sector cannot be insulated from the vagaries and vicissitudes of the economy.’’ He listed the challenges in the industry to include poor power supply, weak infrastructure and the insurgency in the North.

“Northeast contributed to slow

• Pay N326.2b claims Stories by Omobola Tolu-Kusimo

down the pace of growth of the industry. The introduction of innovative products, strategic business, models and improved service delivery, however, helped to up the ante for the industry. ‘’The enforcement of ‘No Premium No Cover,’ implementation of International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS), strict adherence to anti-money laundering guidelines, better corporate governance structures and tighter supervisory oversight and the shift to development oriented regulation by the National Insurance Commission contributed significantly to the improvement in quantum of premium that we are reporting today,’’ he added.

Wiggle lauded the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) for its development-oriented regulations, saying it contributed significantly to the improvement in the quantum of premium recorded.

On the achievements of the asso-

ciation, he said the association engaged in various activities aimed at enhancing the growth of the insurance industry in Nigeria during the year under review.

“In the year under review, the association continued to make giant strides in the implementation of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Database (NIID). Concerted efforts were made to extend the areas covered by the device to locations, such as Abuja, Nasarawa and Lagos.

“More verification devices were distributed to member companies to enhance their marketing activities. As a fa1l-out of the public acceptance-of the device, the number of uploads has increased significantly from 778,928 in 2013 to 1,099,837 in 2014. As at April 2015, a total of 3.21 million vehicles have been uploaded by the 41 member companies underwriting motor insurance business,” he added.

He enjoined member-companies to continue to take the issue of upload seriously to avoid embarrassment to the insured.

AIICO records N3.2b profit

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IICO Insurance Plc has recorded a profit before tax of N3.2 billion for year ended December 31, 2014 as against N1.2 billion loss recorded in the corresponding period of 2013, representing a 156 per cent increase.

The company’s profit after tax also grew by 202 per cent from a loss position of N739 million in 2013 to N2.2 billion in the period under review.

Gross premium written for the period grew to N33.6 billion representing 42 per cent growth compared to N23.6 billion, while un-

• Appoints Executive Director derwriting profit increased by 91 per cent from N2.7 billion to N5.2 billion.

The company’s total assets for the Group also grew by 38 per cent from N42 billion in 2013 to N58 billion in 2014.

The Chairman of AIICO Insurance Plc, Chief Dr. Oladele Fajemirokun, at the 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company, promised that the company would sustain the momentum for profits and market leadership, by becoming a truly

world class financial services group and economic powerhouse.

The Managing Director, Edwin Igbiti, said the company’s financial performance was evidence of its people, a customer-centric culture and high corporate governance standards.

Earlier, AIICO Board announced the appointment of Mr. Babatunde Fajemirokun as an Executive Director. He was until the the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company.

ARIAN partners FRSC on awareness

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HE Association of Registered Insurance Agents (ARIAN) is partnering the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to create awreness on motor insurance policy.

ARIAN President, Gbadebo Olamerun, during a visit to the Zonal Commander Officer, Zone RS2, FRSC, Nseobong Akpabio, said the deal with the FRSC was to enhance its sensitisation on motor insurance.

He noted that ARIAN was sensitising Nigerians on the importance of third party motor insurance.

He explained the least motor in-

surance is the third party, which requires N5000 as premium.

He noted that motorists could get claims of about N1 million when an accident occurs.

He stressed that despite that motor insurance is mandatory, only few motorists have genuine insurance certificates.

This, according to him, has hindered the insurance growth.

The Zonal Commander said road users would be more careful while driving when they have genuine motor insurance.

He said in some countries, road users were more careful while driv-

ing because their insurance company do not increase their premium due to bad driving.

“FRSC believes that insurance will improve safety on Nigerian roads and that is why we are willing to partner with insurance operators to sensitise the road users.

“With insurance, more awareness will be created for better road use in the country.

“At present, we have a list of registered insurance companies on our website and we urge Nigerians to visit it so that they are guided on genuine insurance companies,” he added.

PERATORS have planned a Annual Mega Conference to hold from July 26 to July 28, this year at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The theme is: Developing insurance business for national growth.

President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and Chairman, Insurance Industry Consultative Council (IICC), Bola Temowo, made this known at a briefing in Lagos.

He said the conference was the first for stakeholders in the industry to speak with one voice.

He added that it was also informed by the need to upscale

the capacity of the industry for effective performance and improved contribution to the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, which is receiving attention of the industry.

The keynote address at the conference will be delivered by the Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel while the theme paper will be presented

by Mr. Frank O’Neill, Managing Director, Swiss Re, ME & A. Other guest speakers are Managing Director, LASACO Assurance Plc, Ven Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi; Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Ltd, Bismarck Rewane.

NAICOM okays Staco 2014 accounts

S

TACO Insurance has joined the few insurance companies that have received the nod for their 2014 International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)-based accounts by the regulatory body, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

Managing Director of the company, Sakiru Oyefeso broke the news to the board and management of the company.

He said the NAICOM approved our 2014 full year financial accounts, adding: ‘’We are happy about it that we are able to beat

the June 30 deadline given to insurance companies to submit their audited full year accounts as stipulated in the Insurance Act 2003.’’

He said the company recorded a gross premium income of N5.96 billion last year, as against N5.91 billion achieved the previous year.

He said all genuine claims were paid to its affected policyholders during the outgone year, noting that the company’s priority is prompt settlement of genuine insurance claims.

SA Insurance pays N566.65m claims

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TANDARD Alliance Insurance Plc paid N566.65 million claims in the first quarter of the year, the Group Managing Director, Bode Akinboye, said.

A breakdown of the payment shows that the firm paid N278.64milion while its life subsidiary, Standard Alliance Life Assurance Ltd, paid N288.01 million.

The claims were paid on fire, marine, motor, oil and gas, general accident and engineering classes of general insurance as well as the group and individual life policies.

He further said a total consolidated N719.56million was paid as claims to affected general and life policyholders during the period in 2014.

He said: ‘’We recognise that the survival or acceptance, progress and reputation of any underwriting company are a function of its consistent ability to respond to claims issues promptly and that is why we give any claims reported all the prompt attention to the satisfaction of our affected policyholders.

“The company’s ability to set-

tle claims to the tune of N566.65million at a time the insurance business patronages were not impressive owing to the nation’s focus on the general electioneering activities “clearly demonstrates the organisation’s financial strength to manage any size of risk brought to it by the insuring public at any time.

Some of the major beneficiaries of the claims settlement, according to him, included Karina International Limited, Compact Manifold & Energy Services, Eagle Haulage Nig. Ltd, St. Paul’s Church, Hydrochina Huadong Engineering and DSC International.

According to Akinboye, these were part of outstanding claims prior to the assumption of duties by the new management last January, noting: “These claims response underscores the passionate commitment of the company’s new management team to aggressively pay down all claims that were hitherto unattended to.”

He however said the company has employed Olukolajo Ezekiel to handle its underwriting and claims.

STI promotes 22

S

OVEREIGN Trust Insurance (STI) Plc has elevated 22 staff members, its Acting Head of Human Resources, Adeola Onichabor, has said.

In a statement in Lagos, she said the beneficiaries cut across the organisation.

Those promoted were the Eastern Area Manager, Angela Onochie, who is now an Assist-

ant General Manager. Ebinyu Faloughi, a Deputy Manager, is Manager.

Two members of staff were promoted Deputy Manager. On the whole, 10 staff were moved as Officer 1 and officer 2; another two moved to officer 3.

The company’s chauffeurs also benefited from the promotion, she added.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

29

ISSUES The Federal Government allegedly plans to scrap the Ministry of Aviation and make it a department The merger plan department in in the the Ministry Ministry of of Transport.

Transport.The has become a subject of heated debate amongst aviation industry experts and stakeholders. KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR reports.

• Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos.

Planned scrapping of aviation ministry: Matters arising N

IGERIA is among a few countries that have aviation as a separate ministry. Other countries, such as United States, Britain, Canada, and South Africa have their aviation ministries subsumed under the ministry of transportation. Also, continental and regional economic bodies, including the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have, over the years, urged member - states to put their aviation sector under the transport ministry. This, the economic bodies argued, would make room for cohesive planning on all modes of transportation.

They also argued that aviation as a unique industry requires technocrats and seasoned professionals to run, not politicians and civil servants who are not abreast with issues related to negotiation for bilateral air services agreements, airport safety and security and other developments in the sector that requires expertise. In the opinion of such continental bodies, the arrangement allows governments design a blueprint, marshal plan or roadmap for transportation that is inclusive of all modes.

However, despite the obvious benefits of putting aviation under the ministry of transport, attempts by the Nigerian authorities to heed the counsel, which will ultimately lead to the closing down

of the avition ministry and make it a department in the ministry of transport are causing disquiet in the industry. The Nation learnt that opinions are sharply divided over the plan.

Push for merger intensifies For Head of Strategy at Zenith Travels Limited, Mr Olumide Ohunayo, scrapping the ministry is long overdue. He argued that unless the ministry is scrapped, the bottlenecks and bureaucracy that constitute stumbling blocks to accelerated growth of the industry would remain. He, therefore, urged the government to toe the line adopted by other countries, which have ministry of transport and not aviation. He said: "We need to scrap the ministry, strengthen the agencies by respecting their

‘

respective Acts with little or no interference."

Former President of Aviation Roundtable, Captain Dele Ore, also thinks so. Ore described the aviation ministry as one of the major problems of the industry. A former Secretary General of the Aviation Roundtable, a platform of industry stakeholders, Mr Sam Akerele, agreed with Ore on the call for the scrapping of the ministry.

He said: "Nigeria cannot operate aviation in isolation. The ECOWAS Parliament in 2000 recommended that member - states should not appoint ministers to preside over aviation. The aviation ministry should be scrapped while the Ministry of Transport should supervise the various segments of transportation."

I think the ministry of aviation should remain. It should not be scrapped. What government needs to do is to strengthen it with core aviation professionals to enable it function more efficiently on technical issues of policy and safety

’

Indeed, the planned merger is in line with the decision reached by the ECOWAS Parliament in 2000. ECOWAS recommended that member-states should not appoint ministers to preside over aviation, stating that rather, it recognises a minister of transport to be in charge, with specialists in various segments of transportation, including aviation.

The agitation is not new. In 2007, aviation was fused with transportation with a junior minister in charge of air transport appointed to oversee its affairs.

A source, however, hinted that the model to be adopted in the new arrangement will see a substantive minister oversee the transport ministry but a department for aviation is to be created to be headed by a director general or secretary.

Aviation agencies are to be managed by directors as against the current arrangement where managing directors are overseeing their affairs.

Ore noted: "What ECOWAS Parliament is proffering is very sound. And if we are leading the organisation in this subregion, we are supposed to be taking positive steps. Not only did we make moves, we made presentations to the President at that time, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo." He said the ECOWAS Parliament knew the peculiarity of the sub-region before recommending it. "And I keep saying that we need to look at that, but many selfish Nigerians will want the status quo to remain so that they can have a place to carry their bag to look for contracts," he stated.

The argument is in sync with the one canvassed by a civil society representative in the aviation sector, Comrade Abdulrasaq Siedu. He said the scrapping of the ministry of aviation • Continued on page 30

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

30

ISSUES

Planned scrapping of aviation ministry: matters arising •Continued from page 29

would help the sector move forward. He argued that the ministry, through undue interference and policy inconsistency, has contributed significantly to the slow growth of the aviation sector. He, therefore, said, "The aviation ministry should be scrapped outright to whittle down the interference in the duties of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and allow it to carry out its obligations and oversight functions without political interference from the ministry."

He insisted that if government is sincere about reducing the cost of governance, it should scrap the ministry with immediate effect. "We can effectively operate without a standalone ministry. What we get from the ministry is signing of unfavourable Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) that is detrimental to our carriers, impulsive interference in the day-to-day administration of the agencies, and insatiable appetite for spending BASA funds," he added.

‘

• President Buhari

’

• Mr Ohunayo

Aviation unions kick However, the proposed merger has drawn the ire of many industry players, including aviation unions. Most of them described it as the handiwork of a 'cabal' bent on undermining the growth of a sector considered strategic. Already, three aviation unions namely, Air Transport Senior Staff Services Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), have urged government not to buckle under pressure by what they described as a cabal in the sector to scrap the ministry of aviation.

The unions, in an open letter to the President, alleged that the 'selfish group' in the aviation industry is trying to foist its ideas on the presidency in a bid to push its agenda.

The unions advised the president to steer clear of the 'nefarious cabal', saying: "The cabal has strong interest in, and is the unseen force behind the re-emergent distractive debate about the merger or de merger of the aviation industry with, or from, the transport ministry."

The unions recalled that under the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, the aviation industry and the transport sector were merged twice, due to ill advice from the same cabal under different pseudo names and was reversed the minute it was discovered that the move was retrogressive.

"For us, as representatives of the most critical element in the productivity chain (the workers), we have no particular interest in the merger or de-merger argument. We wish not to be involved in the politics of it.

Our only concern is the profiteering that adversaries of orderly aviation growth seek to make from it," the letter read.

The group further stated that the problem of the aviation industry is corruption and the government's inability to put the right professionals in the right places. "We wish to state very clearly that we will stand with Mr. President's final decision on this matter.

However, we hasten to equally state that our position and advice to Mr. President remains the same, an aviation ministry with a seasoned professional who has sound managerial experience and integrity and not blemished, with business orientation as an added advantage, will surely take the industry to greater heights," the letter concluded.

The unions seem to have allies among personnel of the aviation ministry and its agencies who suspect they could be adversely affected under the proposed arrangement. Their suspicion may not be unfounded considering that part of the consideration for the merger, The Nation learnt,was hinged on plans by government to cut down on administrative costs and position the sector for enhanced productivity and efficiency.

Experts, stakeholders kick But ECOWAS Parliament's position and those of other experts who think that merger is the way to go has not gone down well with some stakeholders. For instance, Chief Executive Officer of Belujane Konzults, Mr. Chris Aligbe; Executive Director, Centre for Aviation Research and Safety, Engr. Sheri Kari, both opposed calls for scrapping of the

• Captain Ore

aviation ministry.

Aligbe, for instance, described the proposal as 'a non-starter.'

As Aligbe said: "One critical question to ask is where the pool of professionals to draw from. I think the ministry of aviation should remain. It should not be scrapped.

What government needs to do is to strengthen it with core aviation professionals to enable it function more efficiently on technical issues of policy and safety. My only concern is that the crop of seasoned professionals at the ministry is drying up. Today, the pool of highly trained, experienced and exposed professionals has dried up."

He recalled that after the ill-advised liquidation of Nigeria Airways, which provided the pool of aviation manpower, no effort was made again to create a new pool. "As at now, in spite of the fact that age has caught up with the professionals of yesteryears, they remain the backbone of NCAA whose success is a factor of the input of returnee professionals. From records available, none of the aviation agencies can boast of any record of robust manpower development over the years. The dearth of professional manpower is real and frightening," he revealed, asking, "If we now scrap the ministry of aviation, is that not more trouble for the sector?"

While noting that on a face value, the proposal is in line with what exists in many countries where aviation has advanced remarkably to global standards such as US, UK and other European Union states as well as in smaller countries with smaller populations and little or no strides in the

Forced merger was tried in the past, but did not succeed because it became clear that aviation, on its own, is a big project that needs to stand alone. It has been tried before and it never succeeded

• Mr Aligbe

aviation sector, he said the situation in Nigeria is different.

His words: "We do not have to scrap the aviation ministry because of what other countries have done. Look at India, which has retained aviation as a separate ministry, as an emerging market with vast population and ambitious aviation development programmes, it has found it expedient to maintain a highly functional, purposeful and focused ministry of aviation to drive her programmes."

Aligbe said the Indian model is therefore, closer to Nigeria than the US and UK models with decades of stabilised institutions and procedures in the aviation sector. He pointed out that a deeper reflection on Nigeria's transport sector will reveal a comatose sector that is problematic in every sub-sector.

"From road transport infrastructure to archaic railway system, to a revenue- losing maritime sub-sector with its poor port infrastructure, processes and poor corporate governance, as well as very weak regulatory agencies, the transport sector is a story of an under-developed nation," he argued, adding that the result of the merger of transport and aviation under one ministry will be obvious immediate collapse of the two sectors or, at best, a worsening off of each.

On his part, Kyari said the proposal is totally unacceptable. According to him, Nigeria's development has not reached that stage yet. "We should have a ministry which supervisor can reach the President and not a Director of Aviation who cannot take a major and urgent decision. We want to increase bureaucracy, the same thing we have been

‘

The planned merger is in line with the decision reached by the ECOWAS Parliament in 2000.

ECOWAS recommended that member states should not appoint ministers to preside over aviation...it recognises a minister of transport to be in charge with specialists in various segments of transportation, including aviation

’

running away from in the management of aviation business," he said.

Citing Nigeria Airways, merger of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) concessions, Kyari recalled that previous decisions taken in the past in many areas and championed by many people in the industry had negative effect on the sector.

"I encourage government to do a good study on the benefits of such a merger before going that way again. This merger was done in 2007 during Mr. Felix Hassan Hyat and it didn't work," he said, asking, "Why should we go that way again?" He said there is need to manage the industry for now and see what can be done to grow its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the current four per cent.

For aviation expert and Chief Executive of Mulaky Konsult, Majoku Ilaki, the call for scrapping of the ministry of aviation is "wrong and unreasonable." Ilaki pointed out that forced merger was tried in the past, but did not succeed because it became clear that aviation, on its own, is a big project that needs to stand alone. I strongly disagree with the position because it has been tried before and it never succeeded," he insisted.

The aviation expert recalled that aviation and transport ministries were merged sometime ago, but throughout that period, nothing literally happened in the aviation sector because attention was on the transport section. "It has been tried briefly, but it did not work and that was why it was de-merged again. The fact that ECOWAS recommended a merger does not make it final", he pointed out.

To further push his 'no merger position,' Ilaki raised the following posers: "How many countries are in ECOWAS? What is the population of those countries? Put all of them together, they don't even meet the size of our own population. Look at our own circumstances; it is not what is recommended for the Gambia or Ghana, it does not fit into our own system because our population is almost 10 times of these populations."

Ulaki therefore, advised that Nigeria should look at the issue carefully rather than implementing the proposal immediately simply because ECOWAS and others say so.

As far as he is concerned, the proposal is "an ill wind that will blow nobody any good."

As opponents and proponents of the proposed merger push their arguments back and forth, it is not yet clear what the position of the new administration of Buhari is on the issue. It is, however, clear that Buhari's government considers the aviation sector as one of the priority areas it must focus on for development.

His thinking, and rightly so, is that aviation is critical to economic development. And as an airline operator, who pleaded not to be named said, there is nothing unusual if he decides to scrap the ministry of aviation and fuse it with the ministry of transportation for enhanced productivity and efficiency.

Will Buhari call the bluff of aviation unions and do just that and in the process probably risk workers' rage? Whichever way it goes, the matter promises to be another litmus test of his 'change' mantra.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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MONEYLINK

Mortgage Refinance Company eyes N440b bonds issuance N IGERIA’S state-backed mortgage-refinance company plans to sell N440 billion ($2.2 billion) of bonds as it seeks to expand access to housing funds, its chief executive officer said.

The Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company will start with the sale of N10 billion of debt this week, the first step in a quarterly programme to raise N140 billion, Charles Inyangete, the chief executive officer, told Bloomberg.

That’s “part of a bigger

Stories by Collins Nweze

programme” over a five-year period, he said. The 15-year bond will be used to refinance existing mortgages that meet specified underwriting requirements and will be listed on the Financial Market Dealers Association trading platform, Inyangete said, declining to give further price information.

Nigeria seeks to expand access to housing finance to help cut a deficit of 17 million houses. It needs investment of N3.5 trillion to build 780,000 housing units annually to help meet rising demand, according to Inyangete.

NMRC, as the company is also known, is rated BBB+ by the Johannesburg-based Global Credit Rating Co., which provides debt

evaluation and ratings across Africa, while its proposed bond, now in the process of price discovery, is rated AAA, as it’s backed by a Nigerian government guarantee, he said.

While the NMRC has been able to provide a uniform underwriting standard for the country’s mortgage market, the absence of a foreclosure law is hampering quicker expansion, Inyangete said.

“We see a need for a legal structure that is clear and simple for the creation of mortgages,” he said. The NMRC is taking a “state-based ap-

proach” as it tries to push for passage of proposed mortgage and foreclosure legislation. This includes creating mortgage boards for the respective states to simplify the process.

The government-controlled mortgage company plans to sell shares to the public before the end of the year to dilute its ownership, according to the chief executive officer.

“Our ideal scenario is to have every bank that is interested in providing mortgage financing to be part of it,” he said.

CBN approves Konga’s acquisition of Zinternet

T

HE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved Konga’s acquisition of Zinternet Nigeria Limited (Zinternet) and its mobile money licence. The acquisition, which consolidates the apex bank’s cashless policy programme, entitles Konga to a 100 per cent ownership of the company’s assets.

Zinternet is an innovative and inter-operable mobile banking and payment provider. Its payment solution, EzPayAfrica mobile payment service allows anyone with a mobile phone to send and receive money, electronically recharge their phone, pay bills & pay for good/services.

Responding to news of the acquisition, Sim Shagaya, Konga CEO said: “We are excited to work with our banking partners to extend the

reach of their services in driving the adoption of cashless payment solutions. As merchants ourselves, we know firsthand the frictions involved in processing transactions and we look forward to exploring how our banking partnerships could eliminate this friction not just for Konga, but also for SMEs around the country.”

As a company, Konga.com has always been at the forefront of innovation, in a bid to attain its mission of being the engine of commerce and trade in Nigeria. In April 2014, Konga.com opened up its platform to SMEs and enabled them to sell alongside Konga through the Self-Fulfil model. Today, Konga is home to over 15,000 small businesses that trade on the Konga.com domain.

Sterling Bank to publish names of bad debtors

Paga achieves N154b transaction volume

P

S

TERLING Bank has concluded plans to publish the names of individuals and institutions with non-performing loans on national newspapers, including social media if they fail to pay repay loans obtained from the bank.

This is in line with a directive from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) mandating banks to publish said names in at least three national daily newspapers.

With non-performing loans in the industry totaling N390 billion in May 2015, the apex bank gave July 31 deadline for delinquent debtors to change the status of their accounts from non-performing to performing, failing which their names, including directors in the case of companies, will be made public.

Sterling Bank admitted that some of its delinquent debtors had approached it after receiving formal notice for amicable settlement to avoid embarrassment. Part of the statement from the bank read thus: “Some delinquent debtors are making frantic efforts to repay their loans

•From left: Head Savings Group, Fidelity Bank Plc., Janet Nnabuko; Head, Legal Services, Abimbola Ogunjobi; one of the beneficiaries of the Fidelity Loyalty Savings Scheme, Obika Osita Jayden; Executive Director, Shared Services, Fidelity Bank Plc., Chijioke Ugochukwu and Divisional Head, Retail Bank, Richard Madiebo at the presentation of cash prizes to the second batch of beneficiaries of the bank’s Loyalty Savings Scheme.

•Sterling Bank CEO Yemi Adeola

and avoid their names being published, while others are hopeful that the CBN will extend the deadline and are asking for more time to pay.

“Our position on this remains that those who negotiate agreeable terms of repayment before the expiration of the deadline will not have their names published; while the names of other delinquent debtors will be published in compliance with the CBN’s directive”.

The bank praised the CBN for alerting operators and the general public to the increasing volume of NPLs and for coming up with a solution to curb this potentially dangerous trend.

AGA, a payment company, has said it processed over 15 million transactions worth N154 billion since inception.

Paga Founder and CEO, Tayo Oviosu said there is now significant rise in the adoption of its services and that the firm has over three million users using its agent and online/mobile payment channels to send and receive payments.

The new milestone, he said, showed that the industry is making more progress than previously reported. “Looking forward, it is easier to see the role Paga and the rest of the industry will play in reducing the obvious issues around payments in Nigeria, boosting economic returns and promoting financial inclusion,” he said.

Oviosu said less than eight months since announcing its last million user milestone, the firm reached two million users in November 2014.

He traced the rapid growth to understanding the unique chal-

lenges faced by Nigerians looking for a simpler way to make payments.

“For my team and I, the issues around payments are far reaching.

It goes past being able to move money from point A to B. In the six years since Paga has been in operation, we have developed a relationship with our customers. We hear their stories and we know that every transaction that occurs on our platform is more than just money,” he said.

“It’s someone trying to pay for something in a less stressful way.

Whether it’s paying for a TV subscription; child’s school fees; a visa; people buying airtime to stay connected to the ones they love or a new business finally being able to accept payments from its customers. With every transaction there is some emotional connotation for the end user and our ability to relate to that and create solutions that make everyday life possible for Nigerians is the #1 reason people continue to choose Paga.”

Founded in 2009, the company remains focused on building a payments ecosystem that can be leveraged by banks, businesses, and consumers. Paga’s agent network is at the core of that ecosystem.

Paga now has over 8,300 agents in 35 states – the largest and most active network in Nigeria. The agents are located where people can comfortably go in to make payments within their community.

Co-founder and Director of Business Development for Paga, Jay Alabraba said: “We believe strongly that accessibility still has a big role to play in the future of mobile payments and financial inclusion. With the unique challenges around connectivity in Nigeria, having a viable agent network remains key to ensuring that every Nigerian, irrespective of their location has access to finance. Our agent network is a key part of the Paga success story, and we currently have over 8,000 agents...and the numbers are growing every day”.

Review mobile money model, says Airtel’s CEO

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ANAGING Director of Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, has called for a review of the current mobile money model, saying a telco-led model will help expand retail banking, thereby driving financial inclusion in the unbanked segment.

Currently, telecoms companies are not permitted to provide their own mobile money services as the current model approved by the financial regulator, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), empowers banks to provide mobile money services, while telecoms companies play only a supporting role.

Ogunsanya, who spoke at the annual lecture of the Chartered Insti-

tute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, said for the mobile money market to reach its full potential, it is important that restrictions on telcos’ activity in m-money are lifted.

He said Agency/Agent Banking, as well as mobile money can help deepen penetration in retail banking in the country, adding that the mobile money sector is rather slow at this time because they are led by banks.

“The overwhelming majority of the adult population is unbanked; however, mobile penetration is approximately 78 per cent. The market opportunity for mobile money is therefore vast. The number of

mobile money transactions has increased at a rapid rate over the past three years - further adoption will be driven by increased awareness.”

Ogunsanya also advised that for banks to expand their retail footprints, they must seek to develop simple products, push for transparency and ensure that their products and services are relevant to the target segment.

Also speaking at the event, Chairman, Lafferty Group, UK and guest lecturer at the occasion, Michael Lafferty, said he is in support of retail banking becoming a profession, pointing out that retail bankers should be required to act in the best interest of their clients at all times.

“This means that retail bankers must be educated to a similar standard as accountants and lawyers, bound by a demanding ethical code and required to commit to continuing professional development,” he said.

Hosted by the President/Chairman of Council, Otunba (Mrs.) Debola Osibogun, the lecture attracted various chieftains of the banking and finance industry, top public officials, foreign diplomats, academia, as well as top executives of the organised private sector.

The CIBN annual lecture focuses on topical issues within the Nigerian economy and is aimed at highlighting key issues and ideas that would influence policy makers.

•Ogunsanya

32

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

EQUITIES

New pricing rule: 60 firms may slip to one kobo N

OT less than a quarter of quoted companies may drop to as low as one kobo under a new pricing rule recently approved for the Nigerian stock market by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last week said it was considering the appropriate time to begin the implementation of the new pricing rule.

The new pricing rule will remove the stopgap that had supported several stocks at their nominal value of 50 kobo and allow stocks to drop as low as one kobo.

The Nation’s check at the weekend indicated that not less than 60 companies, especially in the nonbank financial services subsectors, may be affected by the new pricing rule, which favours market forces to determine share price, irrespective of the nominal value of the company.

Nearly all the 60 companies have been stagnant at their nominal value for more than a year and are currently on supply, a market euphemism for shares glut and sell pressure.

Quoted companies on the main board of the Exchange are currently not allowed to trade below their nominal value or par value of 50 kobo. This had supported and stopped the share prices of the companies at their nominal values.

But under a new amendment to the stock market rules, the management of the NSE has proposed a change in the minimum pricing level from 50 kobo to one kobo.

The draft rule is undergoing the final-phase of the rule-making process at the NSE, upon which it will be sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for final approval.

Many stakeholders have expressed supports for the new rule, which they said is in tandem with the market’s principle of demand and supply as price-determinant at the stock market.

The companies that may initially be affected by the new rule include Unity Bank, UTC Nigeria, Mutual

•NSE delays implementation

By Taofik Salako Capital Market Editor

Benefits Assurance, Niger Insurance, Omatek Ventures, Japaul Oil Maritime & Services, Tantalizers, Daar Communication, Secure Electornic Technology, C & Leasing, Afromedia, Beco Petroleum, Multiverse, Stokvis Nigeria, Nigeria Sewing Machine Manufacturing Company, Nigerian Wire and Cable, IPWA, First Aluminium Nigeria, Mass telecommunication Innovation, Chams, Union Diagnostic & Clinical Services, Union Homes Savings and Loans, Resort Savings and Loans and Aso Savings and Loans Plc. Most insurance companies, which have so far stagnated at 50 kobo, will be affected. These include African Alliance Insurance, Corner-

stone Insurance, Equity Assurance, Great Nigeria Insurance, Guinea Insurance, Consoldiated Hallmark Insurance, Investment and Allied Assurance, International Energy Insurance, Lasaco Assurance, Law Union & Rock Insurance, Linkage Assurance, Oasis Insurance, Prestige Assurance, Regency Alliance Insurance, Sovereign Trust Insurance, Standard Trust Assurance, Standard Alliance Insurance, Unic Insurance Unity Kapital Assurance and Universal Insurance Company.

Other companies that are relying on the current stopgap included Multi-Trex Integrated Foods, DN Tyres & Rubber, Ellah Lakes, FTN Cocoa Processors, Rak Unity, Capital Oil, Anino and Afrik Pharmaceuticals.

According to the new par value

rule, notwithstanding the par value of a company, the price of every share listed on the Exchange shall be determined by the market, except that no share shall trade below a price floor of one Kobo per unit.

Par value is the nominal value of a share as stated in the Memorandum of Association of an issuer while the price floor means the amount below which the price of one unit of a share shall not be permitted to trade, and the minimum amount which must be paid for a share in the event of a drop in the unit price of that share.

The NSE had earlier institutionalized a dual pricing model that categorises and prices stocks according to their initial or subsisting share prices. It grouped stocks into “Group A” and “Group B” stocks. As a “Group B” security, a trade of 10,000 shares will lead to a

change in the published price of the stock. Other stocks will require a trade of 50,000 shares for any price change.

According to the categorization, for purposes of calculating price movements and price limits, “Group A”consists of equities with a primary market maker that are not classified in Group B; and “Group B”- consists of equities with a primary market maker, that are priced above N100 per share for at least four of the last six months; or new security listings that are priced above N100 at the time of listing on the Exchange.

The “Group A” stocks now included Dangote Cement Plc, Guinness Plc, Mobil Plc, Nestle Plc, Nigerian Breweries Plc, SIM Capital Fund, Skye Shelter Fund, Nigerian Energy Sector Fund (NESF), Total Nigeria Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Forte Oil Plc and Seven-Up Bottling Company Plc.

•From Left: Managing Director, Mr Aigboje Higo; Chairman, Mr Olutola Mobolurin and Company Secretary, Mr Olayinka Jafojo, all of Capital Bancorp Plc during the annual general meeting of the company in Lagos

Ecobank outlines transition plan for new CEO

S

TANBIC IBTC Money Market Fund, one of the six mutual funds managed by Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, has been assigned a fund rating Aa(f) for the fourth consecutive year.

Agusto & Co, a leading Nigerian rating agency, cited the quality of the prudent investment guidelines and risk management approach adopted in the management of the Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund with respect to interest rates and credit risks as part of the criteria for the rating. This is the highest rating so far conferred on a mutual fund managed in Nigeria by Agusto & Co. The Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund, which is regulated by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is currently the largest openended mutual fund managed by Stanbic IBTC Asset Management.

The fund invests its assets in low risk money market securities with financial institutions in Nigeria rated “A” and above by a local rating agency recognized by the Securities & Exchange Commission.

According to Agusto & Co., the rating denotes a fund with “minimal exposure to downside risk, impairment of the net asset”. The rating for the fund, which was established in 2009, was also supported by the good quality of the underlying assets which are in line with SEC guidelines for money market funds.

Chairman, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Mr. Yinka

Sanni, said the company will continually leverage its robust risk management framework to safeguard its investments and ensure optimal return for investors in the company’s mutual funds. This, he said, is anchored on strict adherence to global best practices by the fund manager.

“We are excited at Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited that the Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund has been rated Aa(f) for the fourth consecutive year by Nigeria’s leading credit rating firm. It is a clear recognition that validates the robustness of our risk management framework and dedication to deliver exceptional customer service.

We remain steadfast in offering investment options that guarantee respectable returns to unit holders,” Sanni said.

Commenting on the fund, Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Mr. Olumide Oyetan, noted that the Stanbic IBTC Group has managed funds for pension funds, retirement benefit schemes and high net-worth individuals since the late 1980s.

He noted that Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited’s current list of portfolio management clients includes many large multinationals and blue chip companies.

He added that the fund is geared to rival direct money market place-

ments and has the added advantage of making quarterly distribution of income which is very important for investors who require periodic liquidity.

Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund is a collective investment scheme that invests in a wide range of very liquid short-term money market instruments such as Guaranteed Commercial Papers, Bankers’ Acceptance, Term Deposits and Certificates of Deposit, among others, with domestic banks in Nigeria.

The fund invests 100 per cent of its assets in low risk money market securities including treasury bills with financial institutions in Nigeria rated “A” and above by credit

rating agencies recognized by SEC. Other mutual funds under Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited’s management include Stanbic IBTC Nigerian Equity Fund, which is currently Nigeria’s largest mutual fund; Stanbic IBTC Ethical Fund, Nigeria’s first socially responsible quoted mutual fund, which allows subscribers to make long-term investments without compromising their religious beliefs or principles; Stanbic IBTC Guaranteed Investment Fund; Stanbic IBTC Bond Fund; Stanbic IBTC Balanced Fund and Stanbic IBTC Imaan Fund, which invests in Shariah-compliant equity securities approved by the Shariah Advisory Committee of the Fund.

Stanbic IBTC’s mutual fund gets top rating

O

UTGOING group chief executive officer of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) Plc, Mr. Albert Essien, whose retirement takes effect tomorrow, will continue to act as chief executive officer over the next two months as part of transitional arrangement pending the resumption of the new chief executive officer, Mr. Ade Ayeyemi.

ETI, the parent company of the Ecobank Group, in a regulatory filing outlined a two-part threemonth transition period for the new chief executive.

Initially, Essien will act as the holding company’s chief executive for a two-month transition between the effective date of his re-

tirement, June 30, 2015, and the resumption of his successor, Ayeyemi, on September 1, 2015.

Essien will thus be acting group chief executive from Wednesday July 1 through August 31, 2015.

In the second part, on resumption of Ayeyemi on September 1, Essien will hold the role of Special Advisor for one month in order to assist the new group chief executive to settle down and facilitate the completion of a proper handing over.

The board of ETI had approved the retirement of Essien in line with the Ecobank Group policy, which requires the retirement of employees when they attain the mandatory retirement age of 60.

ETI recently distributed bonus shares of one share for every 15 shares already held by shareholders as return for the 2014 business year.

Essien had attributed the performance of ETI in 2014 to the group’s diversified business model noting that the group grew customer loans by $890 million or eight per cent, and deposits by $947 million or six per cent, particularly in core current account deposits, despite the adverse impact of dollar’s appreciation to the group’s key functional currencies.

Key extracts of the audited report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2014 showed that net profit after tax jumped to N65.68 billion in 2014 as against N23.57

billion recorded in 2013. Pre-tax profit rose by 144 per cent from N35.37 billion to N86.44 billion.

Gross earnings had grown by 19 per cent from N319.56 billion in 2013 to N379.32 billion in 2014.

Further analysis showed that the total assets of the group grew by 25 per cent to N4.50 trillion in 2014 compared with N3.6 trillion recorded in 2013. Loans and advances also improved by 25 per cent from N1.82 trillion to N2.29 trillion. Customer deposit increased by 23 per cent to N3.24 trillion in 2014 as against N2.63 trillion in 2013. Total shareholders’ funds jumped by 45 per cent to N493.02 billion in 2014 as against N341.01 billion in 2013.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

33

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

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Greece debt talks: Crisis deepens amid deadlock

REECE and its international creditors remain in deadlock over its debt crisis despite a series of top-level meetings.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras failed to reach a deal with Greece’s lenders, then a meeting of European finance ministers broke up without progress.

The Athens government faces default if it fails to make a •1.6billion (£1.1billion) IMF debt repayment by tomorrow.

As EU leaders met in Brussels, Germany’s Angela Merkel warned that talks were going nowhere.

“We still haven’t made the necessary progress; in some places it looks like we’re even going backwards,” she told reporters.

If Greece does default, it could exit the eurozone, with possible reper-

cussions for the rest of Europe and the world economy.

Only once agreement is reached will the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) unlock the final •7.2billion tranche of bailout funds for cashstrapped Greece.

The impasse threatens to overshadow an EU summit opening on Thursday, where leaders will also discuss the European migrant crisis and UK PM David Cameron’s renegotiation aims.

The relationship between Alexis Tsipras, Italian PM Matteo Renzi and Germany’s Angela Merkel appeared jovial at the EU summit despite the deadlock Greece’s Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis attended the Eurogroup

meeting to put forward Athens’ own ideas After the meeting of finance ministers broke up without agreement, Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said it was not too late for Greece to accept the proposals of its international lenders.

It was the fourth time that the finance ministers had met in a week in an attempt to prevent a Greek debt default. They will meet again on Saturday.

An EU diplomat told the BBC that the Eurogroup had to make a decision then - yes or no.

The Greek government has criticised the international creditors for rejecting its own ideas, which were initially welcomed.

IMF head Christine Lagarde said

the lenders had been presented with a counter-proposal by the Greek parties “at the last hour” on Thursday and needed more time to assess it, according to Reuters.

The IMF has been, particularly, strong in refusing to accept Greece’s proposals put forward earlier this week.

Correspondents say the Greek plan included far more tax rises and far fewer spending cuts than creditors had suggested.

Why the IMF is worried - by Andrew Walker, BBC economics correspondent Throughout the Greek crisis, the IMF has been concerned that the programme should add up. That means that specific actions should be able to achieve whatever targets

are agreed for the Greek government’s borrowing needs.

In the impasse, one concern is that the Greek proposals include too much emphasis on tax rather than spending.

The IMF worry is that might aggravate the economy’s weakness.

For the long term the IMF’s concern is that Greece should ultimately have a sustainable debt burden and has been telling the eurozone that it should be thinking about debt relief.

Like the other players in this crisis, the IMF has politics to contend with: IMF member countries (Brazil has been a notable example) who have in the past been unhappy about the organisation’s financial support for Greece.

China brokerage Guotai Junan Securities soar after IPO

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HARES in China brokerage Guotai Junan Securities have soared on their debut after the firm raised $4.8billion in China’s biggest Initial Public Offering (IPO) since 2010.

Its shares rose by the maximum limit of 44% in Shanghai, despite the overall market falling by more than 6%.

The IPO, which accounted for 20% of the state-owned firm, raised 30.1bn yuan ($4.8billion; £3billion).

The Shanghai market has seen many new listings this year.

The Shanghai Composite index is up nearly 35% this year, despite increasingly volatile trading which has seen big swings in share prices. Last week, the index fell by more than

13%.

In an attempt to cool the market, Chinese regulators have tightened rules for margin financing, where investors borrow money from brokerages to buy shares.

Guotai Junan shares were up to 28.38 yuan from the IPO price of 19.71 yuan. Its listing attracted big demand, locking up 2.35tn yuan during the subscription period.

It was the biggest IPO since the Agricultural Bank of China raised $11bn in Shanghai and the same amount in Hong Kong in a dual listing five years ago.

The company said it planned to use the capital to expand its financial services and asset management business.

Woolworths shares up by 5%

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OOLWORTHS is Australia’s largest supermarket chain but faces stiff competition from discount rivals Shares in Australia’s biggest supermarket chain Woolworths have risen as much as 5% in Sydney on media reports of a possible takeover.

The Australian newspaper reported fresh rumours that United States private equity giant KKR had a bid that could be “almost ready” for consideration.

It would be one of the biggest deal in Australia’s corporate history, the newspaper said.

The news comes amid turbulent times for the supermarket chain.

Woolworths’ media team made no comment in relation to the takeover rumours, while KKR’s media

team in Australia was unavailable for comment.

Woolworths is Australia’s largest supermarket chain but faces stiff competition from discount rivals Earlier this month, Woolworths announced that its chief executive, Grant O’Brien, was stepping down after nearly four years.

The firm also said it had plans to cut about 1,200 jobs. The changes are aimed at cutting millions of dollars in costs and improving sales after Woolworths’ first-half profits fell.

The retail giant has been up against rivals such as Coles and Aldi and it has been trying to win more customers with improved stores and competitive pricing.

Woolworths recently cut its profit guidance for the year to June 2015.

•From left: Guest speaker Mrs. Mary-Anne Adeeko; Ag. Registrar,Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria(IPAN), Mr Duro Abdusalam; President, Dr. Dahiru Adamu; MD,Bato Chemical Laboratories Nig Ltd, Dr. Sola Ojosipe, during the institute’s Stakeholders’ Meeting of Testing Laboratory Analysts and Providers of Support Services in Lagos.

Hong Kong rejects Jetstar’s bid to set up local airline H ONG Kong has refused an application by Jetstar to set up local operations there Hong Kong authorities have rejected an application by Qantasbacked Australian budget carrier Jetstar to set up a local airline, after nearly two years of deliberation.

The regulator said the bid did not comply with the laws of having its principal place of business in the Chinese territory.

The city’s other carriers had also

BATNF launches Maize Project

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HE British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) has launched its Maize Enterprise Development Project, aimed at reducing poverty and creating wealth among smallholder farmers in Bizara Community, Zaria, Kaduna State.

The Maize Enterprise Development Project, which is managed by the Kaduna State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), which is a strategic effort to consolidate and sustain BATNF's agricultural interventions, is the second phase of the Foundation's three year intervention cycle in the community. The project, originally launched in August 2014, is hoped to be completed before the end of next year.

The Zonal Manager, Maigana Zone, Kaduna State ADP, Alhaji Kabir Ibrahim, praised the Foundation for coming to the aid of smallholder farmers, adding that several farmers from various

By Muyiwa Lucas

communities have benefited tremendously from the Foundation's intervention, including ZangoAya community area of Kaduna State.

A representative of the BATN's Cooperative Farmers Society in Zango-Aya Community, Umar Barau, said before the intervention, most farmers in the community found it very difficult. "Before now, many of us in the Zango-Aya community were local farmers operating at subsistence level, but now due to the intervention of BATNF, our farming business has transformed to a commercial level. I want to urge all the beneficiaries to take full advantage of this opportunity to further upgrade their farming operations," Barau said.

Similarly, the Chairman, Bizara Farmers' Cooperative, Mallam Isa, expressed his appreciation for the Foundation's inter-

vention in the community, adding that the beneficiaries were happier, healthier and better farmers due to the support they now get from BATNF. The General Manager, BATNF, Abimbola Okoya, restated the Foundation's commitment to supporting smallholder farmers in rural communities by upgrading their farming from subsistence to commercial level. She thanked the Kaduna State ADP for its onground support to farmers, especially through the training programmes and procurement of input made available to the farmers in Bizara.

Okoya further urged the state ADPs to continue to support the Foundation in facilitating market access to the farmers to enable them sell their farm produce for higher financial gain, enjoining all the beneficiaries to pay back the financial worth of the inputs given to them.

objected, it said.

Qantas said it would reconsider basing the low-cost carrier in Hong Kong.

The carrier is a three-way joint venture between Qantas Airways, China Eastern Airlines and Hong Kong investment firm Shun Tak Holdings.

“Jetstar Hong Kong cannot make its decisions independently from that of the two foreign shareholders,” said the Air Transport Licensing Authority when handing down its decision.

It also said the city’s other carriers, including Cathay Pacific and Dragon Airlines, had objected to Jetstar’s application.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce

said the decision was disappointing for shareholders as well as “for the travellers that Jetstar Hong Kong planned to serve”.

“It’s the travelling public who have lost out, because the message from this decision is that Hong Kong appears closed to fresh aviation investment even when it is majority locally-owned and controlled,” he said in a statement.

He added that Hong Kong was going in the opposite direction of other aviation markets in Asia that were “opening up”.

“Given the importance of aviation to global commerce, shutting the door to new competition can only serve the vested interests already installed in that market.”

The airline, along with its partners, said it had not yet decided on whether to appeal the decision.

Capital One, Apollo bid for GE health-care lender

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APITAL One Financial Corp (COF.N) and Apollo Global Management (APO.N) have bid for General Electric Co’s (GE.N) health-care finance unit, which could fetch more than $11 billion, Bloomberg reported.

Initial bids for the unit which offers mortgages and business loans to health-care providers were due June 18, Bloomberg reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The next round of bidding is due in early July.

Fairfield, Connecticut-based GE also received offers from Ares Management LP (ARES.N) and

Ventas Inc (VTR.N), Bloomberg reported.

GE is working with JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) on the sale and may select a buyer by the end of July, Bloomberg said.

GE announced plans in April to sell $200 billion worth of finance assets as it focuses on the manufacturing of industrial products.

An Ares Management spokesman said the company’s policy was to not discuss any action it may or may not be contemplating.

The other companies could not be reached for comment outside regular business hours.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

34

BUSINESS AFRICA

$1b infrastructure development coming for Africa T HE African Development Bank (AfDB) raised almost $1 billion in contributions from regional governments for a fund to develop roads, ports and energy projects, said Donald Kaberuka, the institution's outgoing president.

The bank plans to seek money from private African organisations, including pension

funds and insurance companies, and later investors outside the continent, Kaberuka said in an interview in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

The lender has also asked African central banks with "excess reserves," and some have importcover of as many as 10 years, to invest part of that money in the fund, he said.

Africa needs to invest $50 billion a year in infrastructure to keep pace with economic growth, according to the World Bank. To help meet that need, nations are accepting a growing amount of foreign investment including from China, which more than tripled financing to the continent to $26 billion in 2013 from $7 billion in 2008,

Bloomberg Intelligence said in a report June 19.

The fund, known as Africa50 and endorsed last year by finance ministers and central bank governors from across the region, is targeting $3 billion in initial fundraising and $10 billion in the longer run.

About $300 million will be spent on assessing the financial

viability of projects and preparing them for investment, Kaberuka said. Shareholders in the Africa50 fund will meet next month in Casablanca, Morocco.

The fund, initially scheduled to be operational by March 2014, will start working next month, he said.

The AfDB's loans and grants climbed 22 percent to $7.8 billion in 2014 from the previous year.

African Bank narrows six-month loss to R2.8b

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HE lending unit of African Bank Investments Ltd., which failed in August, said losses for the six months ended March narrowed from a year earlier as efforts to re-establish a viable company continue.

PWC's Tom Winterboer, Abil's new boss Tom Winterboer The bank recorded a loss of 2.79 billion rand ($230 million) compared with a restated loss of 5.9 billion rand in the previous period, the Johannesburg-based lender said in a statement Friday.

The credit impairment charge improved to 5.4 billion rand from 8.5 billion rand.

While impairments improved, they remain high, "principally due to the deterioration in the advances book that existed" before the bank collapsed, the lender said. "Losses will persist for the foreseeable future," Tom Winterboer, the bank's administrator, said in the statement.

African Bank collapsed last year amid record losses and a lack of funding. The South African Reserve Bank stepped in to affect a rescue, appointing Winterboer to corral the lender's remaining viable assets into a so-called good bank. That business is awaiting a fresh banking license and may be operational by the fourth quarter of this year.

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the first half rose to 8.4 billion rand from 6.6 billion rand in the previous period, the company said.

The results are line with expectations, Winterboer said. "The restoration to profitability and subsequent achievement of acceptable investor returns in the 'good bank' will take time, effort and commitment," he said.

Holding company African Bank Investments reported results for its full year ended September on June 11.

IPAN chief seeks support for indigenous analysts

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HE President, Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), Dr Dahiru Adamu, has canvassed support for public analysts.

He said it was wrong for Nigerians to go abroad to test their products and get services when his colleagues were available to do the job.

He spoke at the stakeholders’ meeting of testing laboratory analysts and support services’ providers in Lagos.

He asked: “Why do people run to France or abroad for testing of their products. Don’t we have the professionals in Nigeria? We do. We should address this issue.’’

He said to make his colleagues perform efficiently, they need equipment, trained personnel and good maintenance. He called for collaboration between the government and other stakeholders in the industry. ‘’We need to speak with one voice to move forward,’’ he said.

Citing the ogogoro (alcoholic gin) incidents in Odo Irele in Ondo and Rivers states, which consumption claimed many lives, Adamu said the unfortunate deaths would have been avoided if public analysts were involved in the production process of the drink.

He hoped by the time the changes promised by President Muhammadu Buhari government took effect, they would have spiral effect on the economy, which would, ultimately, create opportunities for professionals.

IPAN’s Acting Registrar Durosinlorun Abdusalam said the meeting was the first by the institute aimed at the growth and development of analytical science and its practice in the country.

He said products’ analyses require huge finance to purchase reagents, and do maintenance, such that only the lion-hearted could stay afloat in the business.

To this end, Abdusalam said his colleagues require information on analytic equipment. “Nothing short

By Joseph Eshanokpe

of adequate information would give value for money, protect integrity and prosper business,’’ he advised.

Keynote speaker Mrs Mary-Anne Adeeko harped on the imperativeness of laboratories in production and how they could meet global standards. She listed the challenges facing analysts in business as inadequate finance, qualified staff, market selection, among others.

Paper presenters Dr Soal Ojosipe, Messrs Patrick Anyamechulor and Taiwo Elegbede also noted analysts’ problems. They decried the attitude of some government agencies, such as National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) towards them. “It is therefore a herculean task running a private laboratory in Nigeria and comfortably stay afloat,” Anyamechulor, the Kaduna-based analysts added.

T

•Paticipants at the training.

T

ITF, Dangote train 3,500 artisans

HE Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Dangote Group have empowered 3,500 artisans in construction to increase local participation in the sector.

ITF's Director-General, Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, said at the weekend at the closing of the workshop for artisans under the first phase of the deal in Lagos that the training was aimed at stopping the incessant building collapse in the country and the over dependence on artisans from neighbouring West African countries.

ITF collaborated with the Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria (CTIN) to design the programme to enhance the skills, knowledge and attitude of the craftsmen to address performance gaps.

She said the skills would allow more Nigerians to be active players in the industry and if further encouraged, Nigeria will soon be exporter of labour.

Mrs Chukkas-Onaeko, represented by the Deputy Director of the ITF, Mr Abdulrasaq Adeniran, said the artisans were trained in 10 locations across the

By Toba Agboola

country in seven trades which include: masons, tillers, plaster of paris (POP) installers, block makers, plumbers, electricians and carpenters in the industry.

Besides Lagos, the other venues, which will benefit from the training, according to her, are Abuja, Benin, Sokoto, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Ibadan, Minna, Bauchi and Kano.

On the methodology of the training, Mrs Chukkas-Onaeko said it is free, as 50 participants per trade were allowed in each venue, with lectures, discussions, site visits, syndicate group work and practical demonstration explored to impart the skills in the artisans.

She said ITF is committed to its objectives of producing middle and high level skilled manpower that will drive the nation's economy forward, through the provision of global standards technical and vocational education that will eradicate unemployment, particularly amongst youths.

On the training, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, CTIN, Alhaji Aliko Dangote said it was to upgrade and enhance the quality of the Nigeria artisans and craftsmen

in the construction industry by providing them with requisite knowledge and skills that will make them more efficient and effective in the discharge of their tasks.

Dangote, represented by the Executive Director, Stakeholder Management and Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, Mr Mansur Ahmed, said it was also to discourage the importation of foreign artisans and craftsmen who have displaced Nigerians from the construction industry.

He said active participation of Nigerians would also increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country and reduce foreign capital flight and despite being in 14 countries in Africa with their artisans well trained, it is only normal for artisans to be well trained to know their job.

He said the second phase of the training will start soon as the importance of the training to the country is too enormous.

Also, the Chairman, Lagos branch of the Block Makers Association of Nigeria, Mr Okunola Abegunde, said he learnt what he had not learn before in his 20 years experience as a block maker at the training and thank the organisers of the programme.

Winners emerge in ASUS ZenWatch design contest

AIWANESE original equipment manufacturer, ASUS, has announced winners of its Face the Future, a design contest where participants created their own original watch faces for the ASUS ZenWatch. Five winners were chosen to have their designs made available as standard watch faces on ZenWatch.

The winners also received a ZenWatch of their own as well as an award certificate recognizing their accomplishment.

The tech firm said it received over 2,300 watch face design entries from participants around the world. ASUS Design Center - the multi-disciplinary and awardwinning design team within ASUS - judged the contest and selected winning designs in the categories of Gold Medal, Best in Beauty, Best in Creativity, Best Practical Design, and Best Student Design Award. An additional Fan Favorite award was given for the watch

face that received the highest number of votes from users on Facebook, and of those who voted, three were randomly selected to receive a ZenWatch.

In addition to the contest winners, ASUS Design Center chose several other outstanding watch face designs as honorable mentions to be included as standard watch faces on ZenWatch. Five of the winning designs have been added together with the designers' names to the ASUS ZenWatch Manager app, and are available for all ZenWatch wearers to download and use as their watch face It explained that its ZenWatch is the first ASUS wearable device powered by Android Wear and produced in partnership with Google. ZenWatch is an exquisitely crafted watch that pairs seamlessly with an Android™ 4.3+ smartphone to provide relevant and useful information

when it is needed most, and serves as a personal wellness manager.

"ZenWatch follows the tradition of fine watch craftsmanship with its stylish, detail-focused design and use of high quality materials.

Its curved Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 display and case that follows the contour of the wrist, combined with a premium, stitchedleather strap with unique clasp, results in a design that is both comfortable and elegant. Complementing its physical design, ZenWatch comes with a selection of instantlychangeable watch faces to fit any style, mood, or occasion. Wearers can use ASUS ZenWatch Manager on their smartphone to pick a watch face and customize its color and the information it displays, and change the watch face directly from ZenWatch," the firm explained in a statement.

ASUS said as a smart companion for Android phones, ZenWatch provides timely information at a glance

and lets wearers get things done with a simple touch or voice command. ZenWatch brings some of the great features of ASUS ZenUI to an Android wearable for the first time. Users of ASUS smartphones can enjoy seamless integration with ASUS ZenUI on their phones, and experience exclusive ASUS ZenUI apps like What's Next and Do It Later in ways that are more convenient and powerful than ever.

Other apps add additional functionality to ZenWatch, including Remote Camera, which displays the smartphone viewfinder on the watch, letting wearers easily take selfies and other creative photos.

Combining sophisticated sensors with all-day comfort, ZenWatch is also a personal wellness manager that tracks a variety of wellness statistics, such as heart rate, step counts, and relaxation levels to help wearers keep their lives in balance and achieve personal fitness goals.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

35

THE NATION

BUSINESS JOBS

•Fresh graduates at a convocation

Go for jobs not threatened by ‘robots’ The application of information communication technology (ICT) solutions has simplified the way man lives. From the development of steam power in the early 1800s to today’s digitally-enriched world, the impact of technology on employment is phenomenal. LUCAS AJANAKU writes on what to study to get a job. He also discusses jobs that cannot be taken over by ‘robots.’

D

ISRUPTIVE technologies are nothing new. The impact of technology on employment is huge – consider the development of steam power in the 1800s to today’s highly digitalised world.

What may be new is the speed, extent and unpredictability of modern digital technology-induced disruption. This rate of change is dramatically increasing.

More importantly, these changes are impacting the employment opportunities at all levels. Having a university degree or entering a profession is no longer a guarantee of a rich and productive working career.

So the question is: If you are about to enter the university or choose a career, what should you study or do in order to weather future technology-induced

storms?

Disruptive change Technology is changing the world including employment in a number of ways that are affecting many careers.

Robotics and smart technologies are increasingly able to perform high level, cognitively complex tasks, which impact a lot of skilled jobs.

For example, IBM is working with the Cleveland Clinic in the United States to train Watson (IBM’s “thinking” computer) to become board-certified in medicine.

Similar technologies are also encroaching on other white-collar and professional jobs.

Oxford University researchers have recently suggested that, in certain instances,

the computerised results of complex nonroutine cognitive tasks are superior to human “experts” because they do not have human biases.

Their research on the likelihood of technology disrupting more than 700 occupation categories makes for gripping reading for those who take their future career prospects seriously.

The researchers suggest that sophisticated digital technologies could substitute for approximately 140 million full-time knowledge workers worldwide in the near future.

Anyone whose work can be outsourced to low-cost countries could also be at risk, such as we’ve already seen in manufacturing, medical radiology and even legal services.

Accounting, engineering or architectural design services are also increasingly being

offered from low cost countries at a fraction of the cost.

With the global market size of outsourced services standing at more than $100 billion, the outsourcing industry is already big business.

Choosing a career So what do you study or train in? There are a number of trades and professions that are likely to be more resilient to automation and/or outsourcing and can enable you to run your career like a business.

A useful guide is to consider work that fulfils a number of criteria. These include the delivery of a service in real-time; be•Continued on page 36

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

36

JOBS •Continued from page 35

ing physically present at the point of service delivery; the need for a high degree of skill, training and experience, and the likelihood to be a sustained need for your service.

For example, as an electrician, you have to be trained and certified to handle live electrical services as well as be on-site to do the job.

It is also an excellent foundation for subsequent acquisition of complementary or supplementary skills and experience that reinforce your future employability prospects.

You could expand into fields such as electronics, control systems, high voltage and industrial systems, communications or electrical engineering – anyone could open up rewarding career options as well as protecting your future earning potential.

Other examples of careers that meet these criteria include nursing, physiotherapy, plumbing, special needs teaching, surveying, veterinary medicine, air traffic control, surgery or firefighting.

All are highly skilled and handson, and are unlikely to be replaced by machines any time so soon.

Even though many of these careers exist in constantly evolving environments that are themselves rapidly changing, the fundamentals remain: none are at high risk of being outsourced overseas or completely automated.

Career planning Earning a university degree is increasingly becoming the default position of many school leavers in Nigeria, thus eliminating the point of difference a degree once offered.

So holding a degree is no longer enough to guarantee you a job in

Go for jobs not threatened by ‘robots’

The question is: can you recognise these career-shaping changes before your employer notices them? If so, you’re well down the path of building career resilience.

Jobs not threatened by robots

• CEO, New Horizons, Tim Akano

the labour market.

While the personal benefits of acquiring knowledge are indisputable, the hypothesis that attending a university will result in a net positive return in the investment in time and money is less so.

So the challenge facing anyone at the start of their working life lies in finding a career that will be rewarding, fulfilling and, more im-

•Former GMD, Charms Plc, Sir ‘Demola Aladekomo

portantly, resilient, not just resistant to change.

Individuals wishing to be successful in their careers should expect to take a more deliberate and planned approach, and regard their career as their own business.

Being employed is no different to running your own business, in that you are deriving an income from your one client – that being

your current employer.

Most importantly, while your current employer may dictate the terms of your employment, you should be the one in charge of your career.

Employees need to think of themselves and their careers as if it were a business enterprise – that must be evolved, grown, sometimes redirected and above all – protected.

According to the Oxford University report, these are jobs that are least likely to be taken by robots in the near future.

The jobs are recreational therapists, supervisors of mechanics, repairers, installers, emergency management directors, mental health and substance abuse workers and audiologists The study went on to state factors which will make it difficult for certain jobs to be computerised in the near future. If your profession involves these, you are safe, at least for now.

Finger dexterity: This is making precisely coordinated finger movements to manipulate very small objects.

Awkward work spaces: This involves working in cramped environments which require getting into awkward positions.

Originality: You are required to come up with unusual or unique ideas about a specific topic or to solve a problem.

Fine arts: The knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose or produce pieces of music, dance, drama, or sculptures is innate and will continue to be a hot sell.

Social intelligence: This is the process of being aware of other people’s reactions, bringing people together to reconcile differences, persuading people to change their minds or behaviour.

Additional mybroadband

reports

from

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Sunmonu is Petralon Energy chair, Aig-Imoukhuede Director

• Sunmonu

P

ETRALON Energy Limited has ap pointed Mutiu Sunmonu and Aigboje AigImoukhuede as Chairman and non-executive director to its Board of Directors.

Sunmonu is the former Managing Director of Shell

Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) & Country Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN) with an oil & gas career spanning over 36 years in Nigeria, United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

He was the pioneer responsible for mobilising the private sector to set up the National Business Council for Sustainable Development (NBCSD) and currently serves on the board of various organisations across multiple sectors of the economy including real estate, construction, oil & gas and education.

Sunmonu is the recipient of many awards including; Sustainability Champion (2014 SERA Awards) and Commander of the Order of The Niger (CON). He is a Fellow of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (FNSE) and a board member of Imperial Homes (Formerly

GT Homes), and Julius Berger Nigeria.

Aig-Imoukhuede is the founder and chair, Coronation Capital, a private equity and propriety investment firm targeting the financial services, digital technology, upstream oil & gas and real estate sectors in sub-Saharan Africa, operating out of Mauritius. He is president, National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and chair, Wapic Insurance Group, an emerging West African underwriter. He also serves on the Board of the Africa Finance Corporation.

Aig-Imoukhuede has a long and successful career in the banking industry at both Guaranty Trust Bank Plc where he rose to Executive Director and Access Bank where he led the Access Bank transformation team. His leadership witnessed the transformation of the institution into one

of the largest banks in Nigeria. Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede is the recipient of several awards and National Honours including African Banker of the Year (African Banker), West African Entrepreneur of the Year (Ernst & Young) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Sunmonu said: “I am honoured to serve on the board of an indigenous oil and gas company dedicated to global best practice. I look forward to working with the Petralon board and management team as they work towards their vision of collective energy and value for all.”

Aig-Imoukhuede also commented: “I am excited by this opportunity to play a role in building a world class leading indigenous E&P company. I am looking forward to contribut-

ing to Petralon’s continued success with a focus on delivering tangible results.”

Founder & CEO of Petralon Energy, Ahonsi Unuigbe, also said: “Mutiu’s 36 years of extensive experience in the oil and gas sector will add a valuable perspective to our Board of Directors. We appreciate his willingness to serve as the Chairman and look forward to benefitting from his counsel.

“We are equally pleased about Aigboje’s appointment and the decades of experience he brings to bear.

We have no doubt that the board can draw on his vast experience in building successful businesses from start-ups, will provide tremendous benefits to the board and the organisation as a whole.”

Petralon Energy is an indigenous exploration and production company in Nigeria with regional expan-

• Aig-Imoukhuede

sion plans across Africa.

The company, which has already raised over $50 million to fund its immediate growth plans, is set up to acquire, develop, and operate assets in the oil and gas sector.

Titilope is Intel’s She Will Connect spokesperson 2015

T

ITILOPE Sonuga has been appointed the official spokesperson of its 2015 She Will Connect programme in Nigeria.

She will use the platform to share her inspiring story of success and influence the lives of other women across the country in the pan-Nigerian initiative which starts this month and ends next year.

Titilope is an award win-

ning poet, writer, actor and civil engineer whose work has graced stages and pages both nationally and internationally.

She has featured on stages across Canada and internationally, and was invited alongside world renowned poets such as Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez, Yusef Komunyakaa, to perform at the 2011 Achebe Colloquium on Africa at Brown

University. Titilope is the creator of Rouge Poetry and a founding member of the Breath in Poetry Collective.

Titilope was the winner of the 2013 Recognising Immigrant Success in Edmonton (RISE) Award for achievement in the arts and the National Black Coalition of Canada (NBCC) Fil Fraser Award for Outstanding achievement in the arts.

Titilope performed a stir-

ring inauguration poem at the swearing-in of President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2015; a historic moment for the country and the first time a poet had ever been invited to perform at a Nigerian president inauguration.

Commenting on the initiative, Country Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Intel West Africa, Mr. Adim Isiakpona expressed Intel’s

commitment to bringing positive change in the African Girl Child.

Adim said: “We at Intel believe that smart females are the equivalent of a smart world. We want to present Titilope as an icon of the endless capabilities in a woman when she is given the platform to express herself. We want a world where women’s lives are inspiring enough for a change.”

• Sonuga

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

37

THE CEO

‘Outsourcing will help telcos to cut cost’

• Darwish

PHOTO: LUCAS AJANAKU

Last year, infrastructure leasing giant IHS Towers raised $2.5 billion to acquire telecoms towers from Nigeria and other parts of Africa. The sale of this ‘passive’ infrastructure by the telcos has not translated to improved service on their networks. But, IHS Managing Director Mohammed Darwish says taking off the operators the burden of managing the towers will enable them focus on serving subscribers better. In this interview with Assistant Editor LUCAS AJANAKU, Darwish describes broadband as the next frontier in the information communication technology (ICT) world.

• STORY ON PAGE 38

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

38

THE CEO

‘Outsourcing will help telcos to cut cost’ H

OW would you assess the development of the telecoms industry in Nigeria over the last one decade?

Africa’s population is just over one billion and is set to double over the next 40 years. This rise in population is more affluent, mobile and connected than ever before. Nigeria alone has around 170 million people in it. As one of the world’s fastest growing economies, as well as being the largest African economy, surpassing South Africa, Nigeria is leading this change. The country’s economic fundamentals are very attractive to mobile network operators and infrastructure companies. Nigeria is Africa’s largest mobile market with more than 125 million subscribers and a market penetration of around 75 per cent and it is still growing year-on-year, effective penetration rate could be lower due to the fact that it is common for average Nigerian to carry more than one phone with him.

Quality of service remains an issue, with operators blaming it on inadequate infrastructure. Do you think the operators are ploughing back substantially what they make in the country into capacity expansion?

Currently IHS manages around 15,000 towers in Nigeria and over 21,000 towers in Africa. IHS is planning to invest roughly $500 million and we recruited around 400 staff (mostly engineers) in 2014 as we expand network capacity into new territories as well as improving quality and reliability.

At IHS, we also invested over $10 million in 2012 and planning to double the amount, into developing the most advanced network operating centre (NOC) in the country – this gives us 24/7 awareness and data capture of tower performance driving constant improvements in uptime and energy consumption.

IHS has worked hard to exceed 99.9 per cent network uptime across the continent, even in areas where electricity does not exist and sites depend on diesel generators; we will bring the same commitment to the newly acquired towers in Nigeria. IHS raised more than $2.5 billion last year to finance the expansion of its portfolio and upgrade.

Revenue from voice calls will continue to drop as Google, Facebook and other social media platforms not only ‘steal’ revenue from instant messaging (IM) but are also doing voice calls. What does this portend for the industry?

If we want to simplify the issue, such companies require reliable data networks to perform such services, and broadband is what Africa presently lacks more than voice. IHS has been investing in tower acquisitions across the country.

You have acquired towers from three of the operators. What is the rationale for this action? How profitable is this?

At the end of last year, IHS completed the acquisition of 9,151 of MTN Nigeria and 2,136 of Etisalat towers in Nigeria. We also acquired about 1,500 sites from Airtel in Rwanda and Zambia. The transaction will reduce MTN and Etisalat Nigeria’s operating costs, drive network efficiencies and further expand MTN and Etisalat’s voice and data capacity. Opening the largest tower portfolio in Nigeria to all other mobile operators, internet service providers, LTE/ WiMax providers, who previously had no chance to provide that much coverage.

Any savings that mobile network operators (MNOs) generate through the more efficient running of their tower operations by IHS

• Darwish

• Darwish

• Darwish

PHOTOS: LUCAS AJANAKU

‘Mobile network operators outsource their tower portfolios to IHS creating three significant and almost immediate benefits.

These include, for the customer: the network improves; uptime increases to over 99 per cent; and the network expands through sharing towers with other networks. For the mobile network operator: costs are stabilised and capital is released to spend on improving the network and developing products for customers; and for Africa: wider, more reliable and efficient networks, built and maintained by professionals, promoting economic growth and protects the environment’ are indirectly passed over to the consumer in the country, through overall reductions in mobile pricing. Our core business is to run an efficient and effective network.

Mobile network operators outsource their tower portfolios to IHS creating three significant and almost immediate benefits. These include, for the customer: the network improves; uptime increases to over 99 per cent; and the network expands through sharing

towers with other networks. For the mobile network operator: costs are stabilised and capital is released to spend on improving the network and developing products for customers; and for Africa: wider, more reliable and efficient networks, built and maintained by professionals, promoting economic growth and protects the environment.

In terms of operating expenditure (opex) on running the towers, what

does it look like especially during fuel scarcity in the country?

Most of IHS towers are diesel operated and there hasn’t been a drop in price for the commodity in recent times. In terms of a drop in the price of oil, we have agreements with our clients where we are hedged against any increase or drop in the price of diesel which protects us. Many of our sites are equipped to last many hours without generators; however to safe-

guard our operations against the scarcity of diesel, we have many measures in place such as partnering with large importers, having our own depots, and others.

Renewable energy, such as solar has been proposed as alternative for sourcing power from the national grid. How far can this go in addressing Nigeria’s peculiar power challenge?

Solar is an important way of producing power, but to address Nigeria’s power challenge, I think is not highly probable. We do use solar energy systems a lot on our sites, but their use depends on many factors.

As an ICT expert, what would you advise the government to do to promote ICT? The government and telecom regulator are doing a lot to improve ICT. As the tower business is environment-friendly (through the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, or lower use of natural resources), and ultimately serves the end user by providing cheaper infrastructure solutions to the mobile operators.

The mobile operators will in turn pass some of these savings to subscribers and population. The regulators have not forced the operators to prioritise the use of co-location sites, but they went a long way in encouraging the operators to do so.

As operators are going more and more into rural areas, regulators are working in bringing the operators together and encouraging them to align expansion plans into rural areas.

What are your footprints in Nigeria and Africa?

Currently, IHS manages around 15,000 towers in Nigeria and over 21,000 towers in Africa.

What are your short, medium and long term plans?

IHS is committed to developing our people and the communities we serve, and to help people and businesses across the region build a powerful and prosperous future,

by Africa and for Africa.

Do you have plans to diversify into other fields such as mobile phone production?

IHS is a leader in telecommunications infrastructure sharing and leasing; we still see huge growth in this sector and we are focused to keep growing our business.

What are the latest technologies available on the stable of IHS Towers?

The first is our systems integration and optimising our supply chain. We have developed a revolutionary 10-year supply and efficiency contracting model with respective original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and vendors which has dramatically improved the quality and up time of tower management.

We work with OEMs to produce improved design solutions based on existing technologies such as solar, DC generators, batteries.

OEMs supply equipment and technicians to run the equipment on a 10-year contract (we can break the contract at three-four years if they are not performing). Over 3,000 jobs have been created in this way.

The contract includes the replacement of equipment by the OEM or vendor as it wears out.

Through optimising our supply chain in this way, IHS has refurbished its entire portfolio in 18 months, over the usual three years it would take using legacy models. And, we have reduced our operating costs by 50 per cent. The second is our green energy initiatives aimed at reducing our towers’ dependence on diesel. These initiatives include projects in Nigeria, Zambia and Rwanda.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

39

BUSINESS

MOTORING

• The Focus RS

Ford unveils Focus RS The all-new Ford Focus RS delivers 350 PS maximum power from specially engineered 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine. With advanced technologies, Focus RS is among 12 new performance vehicles Ford will offer through 2020 globally, writes TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO

F

ORD has announced that the all-new Focus RS high-performance hatchback will deliver a maximum power output of 350 PS. The Ford Performancedeveloped model features a unique version of the new 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine that debuted with the all-new Ford Mustang.

Ford will demonstrate the performance of the all-new Focus RS to the public for the first time at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed in United Kingdom, where Ken Block – Gymkhana and World Rallycross star – will tackle the famous Hillclimb at the wheel of a prototype car.

“We promised enthusiasts a serious driving machine and, with 350 PS under the hood, that is exactly what we will deliver,” said Dave Pericak, Global Director, Ford Performance.

“The stunning pace and innovative technology of the all-new Focus RS place it head-to-head with performance models from luxury and exotic marques, and it’s ready for the challenge,” Pericak said.

With Focus RS, Ford is introducing its Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring. The innovative system helps deliver a new level of handling capability and driver enjoyment by combining outstanding traction and grip with unmatched agility and cornering speed.

The Focus RS is the first Ford RS model equipped with selectable Drive Modes – including an industry-first Drift Mode that allows controlled oversteer drifts – and

Launch Control.

The new 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine for the all-new Focus RS shares its fundamental structure with the all-aluminium four-cylinder engine in the all-new Ford Mustang.

The engine has been significantly upgraded for the Focus RS to deliver 10 per cent more power with 350 PS maximum output.

Increased power is generated by a new low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger with larger compressor that delivers significantly greater air flow, along with a much bigger intercooler to maximise charge density. Engine breathing also is enhanced through a less restrictive intake design, and a large-bore high performance exhaust system with an electronically controlled valve in the tailpipe that helps optimise the balance of back pressure and noise output.

The cylinder head is produced from an upgraded alloy material capable of withstanding higher temperatures, while the cylinder block employs stronger high-tensile cast iron liners.

Engine cooling also has been given the highest priority, with engineers creating additional space within the front of the vehicle to house a significantly larger radiator pack – the biggest ever fitted to a Focus – which provides the level of cooling de-

• Interior of the car

manded for intense circuit driving.

Meticulous calibration work has ensured that the power unit delivers excellent lowend responsiveness with a powerful midrange pull, climbing to a free-revving topend up to a maximum rev limit of 6,800 rpm. Maximum torque of 440 Nm is delivered between 2,000 and 4,500 rpm, with 470 Nm available for up to 15 seconds on transient overboost during hard acceleration.

Inspiring performance demands an inspiring soundtrack. Ford Performance engineers have tuned the RS to deliver a rewarding and sporty sound character dur-

‘Focus RS is one of 12 new performance vehicles Ford will bring to customers globally through 2020 as part of a new era of Ford performance’

ing spirited driving, with the distinctive burbles and pops that are a RS signature.

“This very special 2.3-litre EcoBoost unit will inspire drivers as they feel the surge of the turbo, and reward them as they take it to the red line – all delivered with a visceral sound guaranteed to put a smile on your face,” Pericak said.

Developed by a team of Ford Performance engineers in Europe and the U.S., the all-new Focus RS is the third generation of Focus RS cars, following models launched in 2002 and 2009. The 30th car to wear the legendary RS badge, the Focus RS will be built in Saarlouis, Germany.

Focus RS is one of 12 new performance vehicles Ford will bring to customers globally through 2020 as part of a new era of Ford performance, and will be available for delivery to European customers from early 2016.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

40

Taxation

E-Taxpay Payment … Promoting transparency in Tax Payment System

E

LECTRONIC-Taxpay is an online self-service tax payment system which gives taxpayers the opportunity to pay their taxes through their banks’ online payment portals. It is an initiative of FIRS in collaboration with Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS). It is meant to facilitate payments of taxes from the comfort of taxpayers’ offices or homes. Taxpayers can pay using the electronic channels provided by their banks such as the banks’ internet banking platform, branches and mobile banking platforms.

PLEASE ENSURE THE ‘e-acknowledgement’ IS SUBMITTED TO THE TAX OFFICE OF DOMICILE TO GET A GOVERNMENT TAX RECEIPT FOR THE PAYMENT MADE. Real time notifications: The platform also notifies the taxpayer and FIRS through SMS alert and real time email. FIRS can view payment transactions and reports online, in real time.

Conditions to be met by taxpayer before using e-Taxpay platform • Register and obtain your Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) • Have an account with any bank of your choice and subscribe to the internet banking function of your bank.

• Have ufficient funds in the account to cover the tax liability/transaction.

Steps to take to make payment through e-Taxpay platform Having registered and received a TIN, an active internet banking account and sufficient funds, then; • Decide the channel to use; • If you decide on internet banking channel, log on to your bank’s internet banking platform e.g. GTBank Online Banking, FirstOnline, etc; • In the case of GTBank Online Banking, select the “Payment” option in the menu; • Then select “NIBSS E-Bills payments” under the “Payment” option; • Select the account to debit from, to continue; • Once inside the NIBSS E-Bills payments, select “New Request” to start a new payment. This will take you to the NIBSS platform; • Then select “FIRS e-Taxpay” from the displayed list services that the NIBSS platform provides, in order to start the tax payment in particular; • You then enter your TIN (FIRS/JTBTIN) or the TIN of the taxpayer you want to pay for; • Click “verify” to validate that the TIN belongs to the taxpayer making the payment; • A pop-up will appear with the TIN details. If ok, then go to the next stage; • Select the tax type (e.g. Company Income Tax, Pre-Operation Levy, Value Added Tax, etc.);

• Acting Executive Chairman, FIRS, Samuel Ogungbesan

‘

Tax types that can be paid using the eTaxpay channel: e-Taxpay can be used to pay all tax types and levies collected by FIRS. They include: • Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) • Education Tax (ET) • Companies Income Tax (CIT) •Value Added Tax (VAT) • Personal Income Tax (PAYE for residents of FCT and non-Residents) • Withholding Tax (WHT). This requires a schedule to be uploaded on the platform; • National Information Technology Development Fund Levy (NITDEF) • Capital Gains Tax (CGT) • Pre-Operation Levy (POL) • Stamp Duties (SD) and late filing penalty.

After a successful transaction, the system will generate an ‘e-acknowl- Documentation required when the taxedgement’ which can be printed payer wants to pay tax: online, or sent to a specified e-mail • Compute tax payable • Fill the relevant self-assessment forms address. The ‘e-acknowledgement’ • Prepare the relevant schedules is a confirmation of the transaction • Make the payment (CIT/PAYE/ of payment of tax to FIRS which WHT/VAT).. would be presented to FIRS field office for the issuance of statutory Benefits of using e-Taxpay • Promotes transparency in tax payment FIRS receipt to the taxpayer

‘

• Enter the amount to be debited (tax sum being paid); • Accept service charge for the bank (if applicable); • Confirm that all the information provided are correct and valid; • Submit the request.

After a successful transaction, the system will generate an ‘e-acknowledgement’ which can be printed online, or sent to a specified e-mail address. The ‘e-acknowledgement’ is a confirmation of the transaction of payment of tax to FIRS which would be presented to FIRS field office for the issuance of statutory FIRS receipt to the taxpayer. A TAXPAYER SHOULD

system; • Boosts taxpayer confidence and trust in the tax system; • Promotes voluntary compliance by taxpayers; • Convenience, time and cost saving for the taxpayers as they can do it themselves within the confine of their offices without going to the banking hall.

• The platform is safe and secure.

Security of the e-Taxpay Platform The e-Taxpay service is safe and secure.

The e-Taxpay platform leverages on the security measures provided by the service channels of the banks in addition to that of NIBSS and FIRS. •Source: FIRS

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

41

SHOWBIZ

How Kate Henshaw lost everything to fire, by colleague P OPULAR actress, Kate Henshaw, it is certain, cannot get over last Thursday’s inferno that gutted her Lekki Phase 1, Lagos home in a long while, going by recent report which says ‘she lost everything she worked hard for in this world’.

The OngaSeasoning ambassador, we learnt, was on location of the much-anticipated Do-Good, a series which is bringing back the actress and BasorgeTariah Jr. as a screen-pair, when thick smoke was noticed from her bedroom area by neighours who quickly put a call across to her.

The actress and her colleagues, who were said to have finished shooting for

By Victor Akande

the day, and were taking fun pictures for Instagram, sped to the scene, but alas! It was too late.

They had called the fire fighters, but the best that came of the effort was rescuing the home of the second occupants of the twin duplex.

“Everything burn down for our korokoro eye,” said an eye witness. “Then the roof catch fire then collapse.”

Corroborating the report, one of the colleagues of the actress said, “Her room started to burn first, then it burnt down completely ev-

erything she’s got in this world. It was a sad thing to watch your property going down. The situation was helpless. We couldn’t look the actress in the face. She was more than devastated.

Everyone at the scene was distraught,” he said.

When The Nation called the actress, pains pulsated her usually vibrant voice.

“Thank you… my brother … thank you…,” she said inaudibly.

It is not clear what episode of the comic drama was being shot as at the time of the incident, but it is certain the actress who has moved to a temporaryabode is not in the

Is Davido preaching violence with Fans Mi?

• A scene from Fans Mi video

I

T has been said that Hip-hop music videos, especially those from these climes, lack substance but Nigerian superstar, Davido, takes it a notch higher in the video of his new track, Fans Mi, featuring Meek Mills.

By Ovwe Medeme

The video opens with Davido sealing a drug deal (or at least what appears to be a drug transaction) and accompanied to his mansion by his crew with loads of cash. There, nothing hap-

Denrele Edun, sister alike for cross dressing

T

HAT VJ DenreleEdun is a cross dresser who loves dressing and acting like a woman is no longer news. What is surprising is the little known fact that the eccentric celebrity also has a younger sister who loves dressing like a guy. The caramel coloured Aderonke, who really is a pretty young lady posted pictures of herself on the internet, and looked like a cute boy in them.

Though not as obviously

• Denrele

By Jane Kolade

eccentric as her elder brother, Aderonke seems to be a chip off the old block.

She sags her pants and wears trendy male inspired fashion; from jeans trousers, shorts, T-shirts, and dress shirts, and looks really good in them.

The two siblings sure have the desire to dress as the opposite sex. Rumours have it that it does seem to run in the family.

pens but a show of near naked girls, dancing to the song, playing with guns and preparing a lot of the white substance. Meanwhile, Davido goes on and on about enemies, jealousy and not having money in the past. The video also has flagrant display of pistols and semi-automatic guns.

With its demographic made up of mostly the very young, music followers say it comes with a bad taste for an artiste of Davido’s standing to sing about his struggles and rejection and in the same medium, send the message home with a display of drugs and guns.

Hip-hop music, by its very nature comes with a lot of social significance and bases its relevance to happenings in the society.

The genre has been known to be a very strong voice in a lot of societal discourse, especially injustice but with this video, it is not clear what message Davido is trying to send. Even if he passes off the white substance as the local dish, Semovita, which he ends up swallowing, what would he say about the guns? This, to many, is like saying a parody porn movie is not pornography.

right frame of mind to continue at the moment.

Producers of the new Pidgin English sitcom, Mnet, have fixed the premiere of Do-Good for Monday, July 6, 2015.

The drama is a spin-off of a popular Nigerian drama series of the 1990s, which features the exploits of the titular character Do-good, played by Tariah, who returns from a sojourn abroad to woo his sweetheart, Emem, played by Henshaw.

The sitcom is said to also feature appearances from other popular comic actors including Tony Akposheri and Yibo Koko, and will be showing on the Africa Magic Urban channel (DStv channel 153).

iRep to honour Francis Oladele •As filmmaker is interred July 1

i

REP Documentary Film Forum, in conjunction with associates and friends of the late filmmaker, Francis Adetunji Oladele, will on Friday, July 3, celebrate the life and times of the deceased at the Freedom Park, Lagos.

According to information, contemporaries of the pioneer filmmaker such as Alhaji Arulogun, JAB Adu, and associates such as Tunde Kelani and Afolabi Adesanya are expected to pay tributes to him as well as reflect on his life and works. The event will also feature the screening excerpts from some of his works.

Also, the family of the late Oladele has announced that he will be buried on Wednesday, July 1, at his residence in Oyo State.

Born to Oyo parentage, on August 30, 1932, Oladele worked in Nigeria as a Photojournalist with Daily Times of Nigeria where he introduced the then very popular column, Social Diary. He traveled to the United States of America in 1955 at the young age of 22 to study photography at the popular New York Institute of Photography.

He later worked at the Technicolor, USA, where he was recruited by the then Premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo to return home as the pioneer

Crown Troupe rounds off anniversary with Kongi’s Harvest

By Joe Agbro Jr.

L

• Henshaw

AGOS-based culture group, Crown Troupe will round off its 19 years of existence by presenting one of Professor Wole Soyinka’s timeless plays, Kongi’s Harvest.

Directed by SegunAdefila, founder of the group who prefers to be known as the Lead Masquerade, the interpreted version by Crown Troupe will be staged on July 5 and July 12 at Terrakulture, Victoria Island Lagos at 3pm and 6pm on each day.

Since June 1996, the Lagos-based Crown Troupe has re-energised the live theatre culture, especially among youths.

‘The Old Order is replaced by the New Order,’ posted Adefila on his Facebook page.

‘The form changes but what about the content?’

• Filmmaker, and associate of Oladele, Tunde Kelani, presenting the iREP Forum's award to Oladele in Oyo

By Ovwe Medeme

African Head of the Film Unit of the defunct Western Nigeria Television (WNTV), Ibadan.

On September 21, 1965, he established Calpenny-Nigeria Films Limited, said to be the first private film Production Company in Nigeria.

Apart from being the pioneer in the Nigerian feature film industry, Oladele is known to have achieved a first by deciding to make

films based on the work of successful and internationally acclaimed Nigerian writers.

In 2012, Oladele was conferred with the iREP Documentary Film Forum’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which earns him a place in the prestigious iREP International Film Festival’s Hall of Fame.

He passed on in the early hours of June 22, in an Ibadan hospital, after a battle with prostate cancer.

Nigerian signs up with 50 cent

By Jane Kolade

N

IGERIAN born singer, songwriter and actor, RotimiAkinoshohas been signed up to G. Unit, the label owned by American Rap artiste, 50 Cent. He thereafter featured his new boss in his recently released remix of the song Lotto.

Born and raised in Maplewood, New Jersey, to Nigerian parents, and educated in the U.S., the multitalented Rotimi wears many caps as an actor, singer and model.

He has released two mix tapes, the Resume on March 8, 2011, and While you Wait on November 30, 2011.

As an actor, he has acted in three Hollywood movies; Black Nativity in 2013, Imperial Dreams in 2013, and Divergent in 2014. He has also modeled for popular rapper, TI’s clothing brand AKOO.

• Rotimi Akinosho

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

42

NEWS

Refineries: How price regulation clips investors’ wings •Continued from page 3 The minister further stated that to ensure the success of the initiative, several financial institutions had been approached to assist operators in the funding of the initiative, adding that the regulatory agency will soon roll out the details of the programme.

At a one-day sensitisation programme, organised in Lagos, for the sstablishment of modular refineries, the DPR Deputy Director in charge of Technology and Standards, Mr. Alfred Ohiani, echoed Mrs. Alison-Madueke that the government has decided to once again encourage the establishment of modular refineries.

He said investment in modular refineries, whose timeline and cost is limited, holds a better chance of achievement more quickly than the conventional refineries.

Pointing out that the DPR will fasttrack the process for investors in modular refineries, Ohiani added that the regulatory agency has slashed the licensing fee from $1 million to $500, 000 to further sway investors’ interest.

Apart from reducing the fee, the government is also dangling other incentives such as reliable, sustainable and cheap sources of crude oil feedstock for the refineries and freedom to locate plants at numerous tax free zones across the country.

Investors are also to enjoy the liberty of exploring regional and international markets.

Price regulation, PIB as clogs With such mouth-watering incentives, investors should be falling over themselves to establish modular refineries. But that has not been the case.

Rather, most investors have adopted a ‘wait-and-see-attitude’.

The Nation learnt that government’s regulation of petroleum products’ prices and the delay in the passage of the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) are two critical issues clipping investors’ wings.

An economist, Mr. Henry Boyo, captured investor’s frustrations when he said there is uniformity in the price of crude oil produced in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and America, or elsewhere and that most investors are afraid of being asked by the Nigerian government to sell below production cost.

Boyo said: “The process of producing crude oil or refined products is the same everywhere in the world; it is the same equipment. So, if you put in the same feed stock, what you will get at the end will be the same price.

“At that level of business, investors have to go and borrow money. If they borrow money to set up refineries here in Nigeria and they produce and the output from their refineries is priced all over the world at X dollars per litre, that price is uniform because crude oil is the same price all over the world.”

Boyo, who identified labour as the only thing that might change, Boyo said those who have either gotten licenses for refineries, or ready to do so, are worried that repaying loans may become herculean when compelled to accommodate subsidy after borrowing to set up refineries.

According to him, the existence of local refineries is not the issue, the price at which the products will be sold is critical, as this will determine how fast the investor recoups his money.

Noting that although, the government, through the NNPC has pumped in so much money, enough to build new refineries, on TAM, the issue at stake is at what price will the products sell?

The economist insisted that the issue is not whether or not to sell the refineries, but pricing.

“Investors cannot produce and sell to marketers below the production cost. In no time, they will pack their loads and go,” he said, adding that once the pricing is right, those who got licenses for refineries will begin operation.

He, however, was quick to point out

‘

•Mrs. Alison-Madueke

•President Buhari

that the naira-dollar mechanism will influence pricing.

In 2002, the Federal Government, through the DPR, franchised 18 investors (local and foreign) to establish refineries.

But, 13 years down the line, only the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources is in the process of activating the license.

The remaining firms have been watching the investment environment to make informed decisions.

Although, investors continue to hold back because of stringent guidelines, corruption and a harsh business climate, inadequate project funding, among others, Boyo said government’s regulation of the downstream sector remains the greatest reason behind the investors’ cold feet.

He said this was what informed the decision of President of Dangote Group, Alhaji AlikoDangote that after borrowing to provide a world-class refinery, he will not sell at a price below his production cost.

Dangote, Africa’s richest man is currently investing $9 billion in aworldclass refinery in the Lekki area of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.

According to the master plan, Dangote Group wanted to build a 450,000 bpd-capacity refinery, it has since increased the capacity to 650, 000 bpd.

Analysts in the industry say despite Nigeria having the largest petroleum refinery in the world, Messrs Dangote will sell products at international prices.

PIB also a spoiler Beyond pricing, the failure of the Sixth and Seventh National Assembly to pass the PIB into law has also not helped investors. The non-passage of the bill has made the commercial framework unclear to banks that will offer loans to investors.

The PIB was designed to reform the entire hydrocarbon sector to increase the government’s share of revenue; increase natural gas production; streamline the decision making process by dividing up the different roles of the NNPC into a profit-driven company; privatise its downstream activities; and promote local content.

The PIB will also provide for greater share of oil revenues to the producing communities and expand the use of natural gas for domestic electricity generation.

For as long as the bill remained in

•Dahwa

the works, Nigerians cannot reap the fruits of the benefits.

The bill has since become a subject of intense politicking at the National Assembly, which has different versions, especially around the more contentious contents such as the renegotiation of contracts with the International Oil Companies (IOCs), the changes in tax and royalty structures and clauses to ensure that companies use or lose their assets.

Experts argue that if the PIB, which they described as the roadmap for the opening up of the industry for increased investments had been passed, it would have comprehensively addressed the persistent fear of investors in building refineries, settled the issue of deregulation, as well as uncertainty concerning regular supply of crude oil at reasonable prices.

Rivers State chapter Chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Comrade Chika Onuegbu, recently warned government and politicians to stop playing politics with the passage of the PIB. According to him, the non-passage of the document has blocked foreign investment in the sector that accounts for over 90 per cent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

Onuegbu, who made the declaration at a media chat with reporters in Lagos, noted that investors have continued to adopt a wait-and-see game, refraining from making any new investment pending the passage of the PIB. He said no Final Investment Decision (FID) has been taken on any oil and gas project in the country, not even on the government-promoted, Brass Liquefied National Gas (LNG) project since the introduction of the PIB as an Executive Bill in 2008 by the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Onuegbu said: “It is worrisome that while we are dithering in Nigeria, there are new oil discoveries all over Africa, drawing in investors just as new technology is making hitherto unreachable and uneconomic hydrocarbon deposits accessible in Europe and North America, thus attracting investors to those environments.

“We believe that the PIB represents a great opportunity for Nigeria to ensure a solid foundation on which the future of oil and gas operations in the country will rest. Also, that the petroleum resources which Nigeria have

Nigerians will pay more at the initial stage, he said the benefit will be more on long-run when price mechanism, determined by competition, ultimately forces down prices

‘

been endowed, work for and benefit the Nigerian people.”

The delayed passage of the PIB is also believed to be responsible for the non-take-off of the three new green refineries with a total capacity of one million barrels in three states. The $23 billion (N3.7 trillion) project remained in the pipeline five years after it was conceived.

On May 13, 2010, the Federal Government signed an agreement with the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) for the establishment of Greenfield Refineries in Lagos, Bayelsa and Kogi states at the cost of $23 billion (about N3.7 trillion) with a five-year completion period.

Under the terms of the agreement, 80 per cent of the project cost was to be funded with a loan provided by CSCEC and a consortium of Chinese banks, led by the Industrial Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). The NNPC was to provide 20 per cent of the funding as Nigeria’s equity stake.

But five years after, the project is yet to see the light of the day, prompting legislative investigation last year by the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum (Downstream).

Calls for deregulation gather steam President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Remi Bello, called for the deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil and gas sector as a way of out of the myriads of problems in the industry. He noted that a deregulated downstream will end scarcity of petroleum products, halt corruption in the subsidy regime, resuscitate the collapsed refineries, boost investments and create jobs.

Insisting that the current regime of subsidy and government’s direct involvement in the operations of oil and gas sector should be discontinued, the LCCI chief said government’s management of the sector has done a colossal damage to the economy.

“It is in the overall interest of the economy and the citizens that government should quickly deregulate the sector,” Bello said, urging labour unions and Nigerians to give the reform a chance.

He was not alone. The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) is also rooting for deregulation. It’s Director-General Segun Oshinowo argued that the the N10

reduction in the pump price of a litter of petrol by the government begged the more fundamental issue of appropriate policy framework that will promote investment in the sector and put a stop to the embarrassing and shameful practice of importation of products.

Oshinowo said: “Our expectation therefore, is that government would seize the opportunity of the current decline in the price of crude oil to commence implementation of the policy on deregulation.

“This is a unique timing the government cannot afford to miss as full implementation of deregulation, which in time past had led to price increase and reaction by the labour movement in form of industrial action, does not have any negative effect on the masses.”

The NECA director further said that rather than the reduction from N97 to N87, there ought to be a far more holistic announcement of a new policy thrust of deregulation of the downstream sector and privatisation of the four refineries.

According to him, the economy stands to gain a lot from the deregulation of the oil sector.

Oil marketers’ position Oil marketers, under the aegis of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), argues that deregulation will bring in investments into the sector and encourage the establishment of private refineries.

Its Executive Secretary Obafemi Olawore said the government should summon the courage to fully deregulate and remove subsidy, or embark on continuous subsidy regime payment as at when due.

Olawore said: “If the government likes, they can introduce gradual removal of subsidy. But, it should not go beyond six to 18 months period.”

He added that if fully deregulated with rules, the country will have serious investors coming in to invest adequately.

He insisted that deregulation is the answer and that the government must educate the people to make them understand the advantages.

Director-General, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Sir Emeka Okereke, urged the government to muster the political will to push through the deregulation policy.

“The government has no business in business. Deregulation is an idea whose time has come. Put the right policies in place so that private investors can come in,” he told The Nation.

Okereke recalled that because of political exigency, the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan could not take the bull by the horns and deregulate the sector.

He recalled how the Federal Government administration buckled under the pressure of civil society groups in 2012 during the nationwide protest against the removal of fuel subsidy.

Saying that subsidy has become unsustainable, Okereke said: “Subsidy doesn’t make economic sense anymore. It has become unsustainable.

We will never come out of the wood as long as we continue to subsidise the price of petroleum products. We cannot continue to postpone the evil day.”

Agreeing that Nigerians will pay more at the initial stage, he said the benefit will be more on long-run when price mechanism, determined by competition, ultimately forces down prices.

One of the key issues driving the agitation for deregulation is the payment of an estimated N1 trillion annually as subsidy. This has pitted the government against oil marketers on one hand, and against Nigerians on the other.

Will President Buhari retain or jettison oil subsidy? He has left nobody in doubt on his plans to reorganise the NNPC. He has begun that process with the disbandment of the corporations’ board.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

NEWS

•Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi (right) and Chariman, Ashmart Holdings Ltd, Hon Ibukunola Anthony Ashamu at an event in Ibadan

•Lagos State Deputy Governor Mrs Idiat Adebule (middle) addressing residents of Eti-Osa Local Government during the weekend’s sanitation... at the weekend. With her are Executive Secretary, Eti-Osa/Victoria Island Local Government Development, Mr Abayomi Daramola (right); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Mr Hakeem Ogunbanbi (left); Head of Women Affairs, Bar Beach Police Barracks, Victoria PHOTO: OMOSEHINMOSES Island, Mrs Mariam Aliyu (second left) and Assistant, incharge of Welfare, Mrs. Kehinde Odutona.

Airport Commissioner of Police Mr. Taiwo Lakanu (right); Area Commander, Airport Command, Mr. Chuks Enwonwu and Managing Director, Arik Air Mr. Chris Ndulue when the police chiefs visited Arik Airline’s Corporate Headquarters in Lagos

•L-R: Consulate-General, People’s Republic of China to Nigeria, Mr. Yao Wenjun; Executive Secretary, Amuwo Odofin Local Government, Deaconess Modupe Ajibola-Ojodu and Council Manager, Mr. Segun Ajayi, when Yao Wenjun visited Amuwo Odofin Local Government secretariat, FESTAC Town .

•From left: Asst. Editor In-chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Obike Ukor; Indian High’s Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Ajjampur Ghanashyam and Editor, Foreign Directorate, Mr Uche Annune, at the NAN Forum in Abuja... yesterday.

•L-R: Assistant Pastor, The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Victory Chapel, Magodo, Lagos, Mrs. Adejoke Taiwo; host Pastor Aderonke Olowoyo, Gospel Artiste, Mrs. Tope Alabi and President, Women of Honour, Deaconess Doyin Odumirin, during the Chapel’s Women of Honour’s Convention 2015 in Lagos... at the weekend.

•L-R: Bishop, Diocese of Lagos Mainland, Methodist Church Nigeria, Rt. Revd Isaac Ayobami Olawuyi; Presbyters: Very Revd. Michael IchaIganga, Very Revd William Allotey-Pappoe, Secretary of the Conference, Bishop Raphael Okpoko and other ministers at the installation of the Presbyters at the City Mission Methodist Church Cathedral, Surulere, Lagos.

•L-R: Vice Chairman, International Chamber of Commerce, Nigeria (ICC), Mr. Dharnesh Gordhon; Chairman Emeritus, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye; Chairman, Mr. Babatunde Savage; Vice Chairman, Chief Raymond Ihyembe and Secretary General, Mrs. Olubunmi Osuntuyi, at the 16th Annual General Meeting of ICC Nigeria, at the Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island, Lagos..

•Founder and a member of Board of Trustees, Liberty Foundation, Alhaji Hakeem Danmola(right); Coordinator, Badagry Zone, Dr. Sakiru Onasanya and his Eredo-Epe Zonal colleague, Mr. Siji Ayantuga at the Liberty Foundation Retreat at Surulere, Lagos... at the weekend.

Remo Diocesan Lay President’s wife, Lady Oluranti Odutola(left) with Diocesan Bishop’s wife, Sister Modupeola Akinwale at the 2015 Remo Diocesan Synod at Ojumele Circuit, Sagamu, Remo.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

44

NEWS

•Front row: Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (sixth right); his deputy Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo (seventh right); House of Assembly Speaker Edward Ubosi (middle); Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ikeje Asogwa (fifth left); Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. GOC Ajah (left) and members of the PDP State Working Committee after a meeting at the Governor’s Lodge...at the weekend.

•Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute (left); Chief Executive Officer/ National Coordinator, Nigerian Center for Disease Control, Prof. Abdusalam Nasisi; a corps member and initiator, Mrs. Farida Kabil during the inauguration of website for online training and awareness on viral hemorrhagic fever in Abuja... at weekend PHOTO: ABAYOMI FAYESE

•Dancers at the 2015 Ogidi- Ela Day celebration at Ogidi in Kogi…yesterday

•From left: Chief Imam of Jos, Sheikh Muhammad Lawal, deputy, Sheikh Gazali Ismail and Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, when the Archbishop visited the Chief Imam on his appointment in Jos…yesterday PHOTO: NAN

• Goeffrey Oji flanked by. GospelOnDeBeatz and Gang, both judges at the Abuja leg of the MTN Project Fame Audition.

PHOTO: NAN

•President, Rotary Club District 9125 of Jos, Mr Santos Larab (left) and District Governor, Rotary International, Mr Tola Mogbeyi Omotsola, at the Club’s end-of-the-year valedictory PHOTO: NAN ceremony in Jos…yesterday

•From left: Chairman, Lagos State Badminton Association, Mr. Francis Orbih addressing a news conference at the Press Centre, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere. With him are Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth, Sport & Social Development, Lagos State, Mr. Whenu Oluseyi and Vice President, Nigeria Olympic Committee, Mr. Fatai Williams.

PHOTO: ISAAC JIMOH AYODELE

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MONDAY JUNE 29, 2015

POLITICS THE NATION

E-mail:- politics@thenationonlineng.net

BAYELSA POLITICS There seems to be no let-up in the crisis rocking the Bayelsa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). As the countdown to next year’s governorship election begins, Correspondent MIKE ODIEGWU examines the factors that are likely to shape the poll and why Governor Seriake Dickson may be denied the PDP ticket.

B

AYELSA State Governor Seriake Dickson is in the eye of the storm. Chances of his re-election are getting slimmer by the day; not because he has not performed well in the last three years; there are extraneous factors. But, Dickson is not ready to go down without a fight. He is fighting like a wounded lion to remain in the Creek Heaven Government House beyond 2016.

News of the poor relationship between the governor and the immediate past First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, was the first noticeable obstacle against his re-election. The governor, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), emerged through the influence of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The frosty relationship was initially brushed aside as a rumour. Doubting “Thomases” argued that Mrs. Jonathan would never dare work against Dickson, considering that he made her a Permanent Secretary in the state’s civil service, against public opprobrium; a position the erstwhile Governor Timipre Sylva denied her.

But, the truth about the sour relationship between the duo emerged when Mrs. Jonathan resigned her appointment as a Permanent Secretary, apparently to enable her stand on a moral ground to fight the governor. After her resignation, she made clandestine moves through her loyalists to undo the governor. The power tussle between the governor and the former First Lady eventually led to the factionalisation of the party.

Dame Patience has been using one of her loyalists, Weripamowei Dudafa, the former domestic aide to Jonathan, to undermine Dickson’s influence. Dudafa was touted as the one to replace Dickson. Mrs. Jonathan, who continued to pull many stunts, was reported to have hired the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) as a platform to campaign against Dickson. TAN was reorganised. It removed administrators perceived to be loyal to Dickson.

They were replaced with key supporters of Mrs. Jonathan. For instance, TAN’s former state Chairman, Mr. Talford Ongolo, a former Speaker in the old Rivers State House of Assembly who is now Dickson’s Chief of Staff, was unceremoniously dismissed and replaced with former Deputy Governor Werinipre Seibarugu, who is an associate of Mrs. Jonathan.

Dickson kicked as TAN acquired an edifice along the Isaac Boro Expressway as its secretariat. In fact, TAN has refused to go away in Bayelsa State, even after Jonathan’s defeat at the presidential poll.

The reason for the rift between Dickson and Jonathan’s wife has not been publicly stated.

The woman loathes Dickson’s leadership style, especially his miserly lifestyle even as a governor, sources said.

Moves that widened the cracks To whittle the influence of Mrs. Jonathan in his administration, Dickson had embarked on what was described as cabinet cleansing. He started removing the traces of the woman in his government by sacking persons linked to her.

In April, last year, the governor sacked seven commissioners. Those booted out include: Mr. Francis Egele, former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Mr. Ayakeme Massa, former Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Industry and his health counterpart, Dr. Anapurere Michael Awoli.

Others are: Mr. Nelson Belief (Tourism Development); Mr. Gesiye Isowo (Special Duties/ Federal Projects); Mr. Parkinson MacManuel (Science, Technology and Manpower Development) and Dr. Sylvanus Abila (Environment).

He also asked the former Commissioner for Capital City Development, Mr. Zuwa Konuga, to quit his cabinet and informed the erstwhile Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Mr. James Dugo, that his services were no longer required.

Dickson did not stop there. He continued to weed out persons linked to the former First Lady. For instance, former Commissioner for Local Government, Marie Ebikake, who campaigned vigorously for the governor, and the

•Jonathan

•Dickson

•Dame Patience

Dickson’s re-election bid shaky governor’s Special Adviser on Federal Government Projects, Chief Remi Kuku, were equally sent packing because of their closeness to Mrs. Jonathan.

After Jonathan lost the presidential election, the governor relieved a good number of his aides their appointments. Persons who left the government found succour in the camp of the former First Lady. This has brought a sharp division in the party ahead of the election.

The suspensions The PDP was further torn apart by the suspensions of key members of the party. Its Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba, was the first to be suspended in controversial circumstances by the State Working Committee (SWC). The development further worsened the bad blood between Dickson and Mrs. Jonathan’s camp.

Inokoba, known as a confidant to former President Jonathan, was accused of financial impropriety. Some observers said he was a victim of grand conspiracy and manoeuvring among persons who have the interest of Dickson at heart. Found to be disloyal to Dickson, the camp of the governor was said to have set a booby trap for Inokoba who naively walked into it.

The N70 million donated by the former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani AllisonMadueke, for the presidential rally in the state, was the trap that set off another round of crisis in the party. He was accused by the SWC of diverting N40 million out of the money. Though he denied the allegation, he could not stop his suspension by the SWC. However, the suspension of Inokoba has generated controversy. The action against him is yet to be upheld by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, as stipulated in the PDP constitution. Therefore, ahead of the election, the party has two factional chairmen, Chief Serena Dokubo-Spiff in acting capacity and Inokoba.

Though a Federal High Court in Abuja was

said to have restrained Inokoba from parading himself as the chairman, Dokubo-Spiff is yet to be recognised by the NWC. This is a dangerous signal ahead of the election. Some analysts say, if the situation remains unresolved and the party goes into a primary election, the national leadership of PDP may recognise a faction led

by Inokoba.

But, others argue that Dickson will indisputably have his way because of the enormous power governors wield in the PDP. Besides, they believe that, having lost the central government, the PDP will not want to gamble with their chances in Bayelsa.

As the party was grappling with Inokoba’s puzzle, the governor descended heavily on some bigwigs accused of anti-party activities during the last general elections. The suspected party members were said to have sponsored candidates in other parties to contest elections against the PDP candidates.

Dickson, before inaugurating a committee chaired by his deputy to investigate activities of such persons, spoke about party discipline.

He said persons indicted of anti-party activities would be punished adequately.

Nine members of the party known to be key men of the former President and his wife were expelled from the chapter for anti-party activities. Dudafa, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange and former Acting Governor Chief Nestor Binabo were among those expelled.

Others are former Deputy Governor Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, Mr. Chamberlain Kren Ikidi, Mr. Osomkime Blankson, Mr. Emmanuel Okponipre, Mr. Ebikapade Dibiya and Joyce Fouyowei.

Dokubo-Spiff said members of the state executive committee adopted the recommendations of the disciplinary committee in unanimous voice votes. He, however, noted that some of the indicted members, who are in the National Assembly or holding appointments at the national level, would be referred to the national body for further disciplinary measures,

News of the poor relationship between the governor and the immediate past First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, was the first noticeable obstacle against his re-election. Incidentally, the governor, who was elected on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), emergence through the influence of former President Goodluck Jonathan

in line with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

He said the members, including Inokoba, Senator Emmanuel Paulker and Mr. Fiebai Gbeinbo, were suspended for three months.

But, he said Mr. Leghemo Kaiser and Mr. Denyabofa Dimaro are to apologise to the leadership of the party, while Dr. Godson OmuboDede and Mr. Dan Omubo-Dede were only reprimanded.

Dokubo-Spiff added: “The State Working Committee met after receiving the report and deliberated on it and the State Executive Committee took a unanimous voice vote based on the gravity of the offences and the respective attitudes of the affected members, some were expelled, others suspended while a few others were reprimanded and exonerated.

“It is important to note that, the committee acted responsibly following the tenets of due process. The committee amply publicized the activities and invitations to the affected persons requesting them to turn and state their own side of the story. Some turned up and others were defiant and continued to treat our party with contempt, as a result certain members were expelled from the party.”

This action has further intensified the infighting within the party. Dickson, however, defended it. He stressed that, if indiscipline and disloyalty were not checked among party members, it would affect the party’s survival.

He pointed out that, the situation whereby PDP members campaigned openly for candidates of other political platforms while benefitting from the party would no longer be condoned. Dickson lambasted members, who worked against the party’s interest with impunity in the last elections and called for unity among members.

Dickson said: “You cannot have a situation where party leaders will sponsor candidates on the platform of other political parties to contest for political power and space against our party.

“And they do so with impunity, campaign openly while they are PDP members benefitting from the platform provided by our party. This can no longer be tolerated.

“This is a PDP state, but our party’s strength will wane, if we do not maintain party discipline. We cannot tolerate a situation where a few people consider themselves above the party and do things with impunity without regard •Continued on page 46

THE NATION MONDAY JUNE 29, 2015

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If INEC set out to use Card Readers to conduct elections it ought to put in ‘place a mechanism to ensure that the results declared are those emanating from the use of Card Readers and not those that were manually manipulated

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POLITICS

Card Reader: Emerhor urges INEC to do more

T

HE governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State in the last general elections, Olorogun Otega Emerhor, has hailed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, for his courage and integrity in standing by the commission’s guidelines for the 2015 general elections, particularly the use of Smart Card Readers, even in the face of stiff opposition from the then ruling party, the peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

Emerhor, who spoke with our correspondent over the telephone, however accused the commission of not doing enough to safeguard the

By Raymond Mordi, Deputy Political Editor

sanctity of the elections and the protection of all the candidates who participated, adding that the above responsibility has now been shifted to the tribunals.

He said INEC ought not to declare results that did not emanate from the Card Readers and/or use such results to declare winners. His words: “If INEC set out to use Card Readers to conduct elections it ought to put in place a mechanism to ensure that the results declared are those emanating from the use of Card Readers and not those that were manually manipulated.”

•Continued from page 45

for the authorities, just because they are in one leadership position or the other, through the instrumentality of the PDP.” But, Inokoba fired back. He described the activities of the governor and the disciplinary committee as null and void, accusing the governor of destroying the party. He said the crisis in the party was set off by Dickson to send potential governorship aspirants out of the PDP to enable him emerge as the sole candidate.

He said after his purported suspension, Dickson, out of desperation, went to the Federal High Court in Abuja to enforce the decision without serving him the court notice.

Inokoba said he went to court to stop the impunity of the governor, adding that the court gave an order stopping the activities of the disciplinary committee that recommended the expulsion of the party leaders.

But, he noted that Dickson, despite his awareness of the order, asked the committee to ahead and prepare its report. Declaring himself the authentic chairman, Inokoba said he is the only one qualified to set up committees and convene meetings of the party. He berated Dickson for trying to destroy a party he knew nothing about its formation, noting that persons he declared unwanted were the founding members of the party.

He added: “I am calling on the whole world to know that as the truly elected chairman of Bayelsa PDP that I am the only one that can summon any meeting of the executive committee or set up any disciplinary committee.”

Gale of defections The loss of the Presidency and the crisis in the party has culminated in a gale of defection in the chapter. Founding fathers of the party and associates of former President Jonathan are leaving the party in droves. It was the lawmakers from Jonathan’s Ogbia Local Government Area that were the first to jump ship.

For instance, the lawmakers representing Jonathan’s Bayelsa East District and Ogbia Federal Constituency, Senator Clever Ikisikpo and

Emerhor went further to say that “it is a regrettable dereliction of duties for INEC and its staff to, in the first instance, either connive or turn a blind eye and then go ahead to announce and declare winners based on manually generated results in place of Card Readers results, thereby empowering elections riggers and punishing law-abiding candidates with the burden of proof at the tribunal in their quest to annul illegally acquired mandate, a situation that was avoidable abinitio.”

In addition, the APC governorship candidate said even now INEC still have an opportunity to go beyond just reconfirming its guidelines, as Prof Jega has just done, by

•Emerhor

•Jega

standing up to provide all necessary support materials, by being its readiness to testify at the tribunals and by taking legal stand against undeservingly declared winners at the ongoing tribunal cases.

He concluded by saying that it is

imperative for the commission to discharge its duties and responsibilities through its legal representatives who are now defending INEC’s role at the various tribunals by supporting aggrieved candidates against undeserving declared winners.

Can Dickson get second term ticket?

Hon. Nadu Karibo, dumped the PDP for the APC before the May 29 handover. Also, a member representing the President in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Azibola Omekwe, abandoned the PDP for the APC. They cited internal crisis and hijack of the party as their reasons for defection.

Jonathan had made a belated move, after leaving office, to resolve the crisis, but it amounted to nothing. Some party elders were already angry with the former president for not asserting his authority in the party when he was in power. They say he allowed his former aides and his wife to sow the seed of discord in the party and that he did very little to call them to order.

The week after leaving office, Jonathan had met with party stakeholders in his country home, Otuoke, in his bid to seek solutions to the crisis. But, Jonathan’s wife and key members of her political camp shunned the meeting. They refused to attend the fence-mending meeting because of the presence of Dickson.

Members of Dickson’s camp and elders in support of the governor’s second term bid were, however, present at the gathering.

For the PDP to retain the state next year, some elders insisted that the aggrieved members must rally round Jonathan and Dickson. Jonathan also endorsed the second term aspiration of the governor and directed members of the party to support him.

The former President also constituted a threeman committee headed by former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha to reconcile aggrieved groups and individuals. The committee was asked to ensure a united and a more cohesive PDP that will be strong and formidable in all ramifications, to face and subdue the opposition in the state.

The committee, which has also King A. J. Turner and Chief Thompson K. Okorotie as members, was given two weeks to complete its assignment and submit a report to the larger

• AIG Tunde Ogunsakin of Zone 6 Calabar welcoming the Vice President of Nigeria Professor Osinbajo to Calabar.

house.

No sooner had Jonathan endorsed Dickson than a group of his kinsmen from Ogbia rose from a crucial meeting and resolved to work against the second term bid of Dickson. The kinsmen, who met under the aegis of Ogbia Joint Initiative (ODJI), disagreed with Jonathan, saying Dickson does not deserve a second term.

Evidence that Jonathan’s intervention and his reconciliation committee achieved nothing came to the fore, following the gale of defections that hit the party. Dr. Jonathan’s close friend and frontline politician, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, recently led some leaders of the PDP and thousands of his supporters to the APC. Ikiogha, a founding member of the PDP, embraced the broom revolution in an elaborate ceremony at Kpansia open field, Yenagoa.

Leaders of the PDP that defected with him are Chief Victor Awala, Mr. Paul Ajuwa, Mrs. D. Irene, Mr. Prince Abeki, a former commissioner, and over 150 former councillors from 1999 to 2012.

Elders divided The governor is battling with the division his ambition has created among PDP elders.

Hitherto, the elders supported Dickson under the aegis of the Bayelsa Development Forum (BDF) headed by a statesman, Chief Thompson Okorotie. But, the elders have since deserted the governor. Some of the elders have pulled out of the BDF; they made it clear that they are not in support of the governor’s second term ambition. Such elders met in Yenagoa recently to map out their strategies to stop the re-election of Dickson.

To actualise their plot against Dickson, the aggrieved party leaders and elders were said to have formed a socio-cultural and political group called Bayelsa Peoples Consultative Assembly (BPCA). A former lawmaker, Senator John Brambayefa, who is from Sagabama, the local government area of Dickson, has been elected as the chairman of the group.

Members of the group took turns to criticise the administration of Dickson, describing it as an era of gloom. They said the present administration has succeeded in making Bayelsa stagnant. They said the time for change has come and hat they have made up their minds to align themselves with a platform that could help them effect the needed change.

Brambayefa said, as a first step towards achieving their aim, a 14-member committee had been set up to work out modalities for them to fully join the APC. Another elder statesman, Alex Ekiotimin, who was in Dickson’s camp, said they were bothered by what he described as the inhuman polices of the governor. He accused the governor of completely disregarding elders of the state, adding that their decision to join the APC was taking after careful deliberations.

In his reaction, Dickson described the elders as greedy and hypocritical politicians. The governor said in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, that the accusations were misplaced and were only disguised reasons to justify the actions of the body which, he said, was more motivated by greed.

The PDP chapter dismissed the exodus of its members to the APC as insignificant. It, however, described the gale of defection as unfortunate, embarrassing and nauseating. The party said its members and key loyalists of former President Jonathan defecting to the APC are ungrateful to the party that “made them what they are today.” The state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osom Makbere, alleged that the persons leaving the party were part of the viciousness, human rights abuses, arson and other vices that characterised the past government.

He said: “These fellows who actually have no electoral value and whose fibre are also spent are creating the impression that they are moving with supporters. But, they are lonely votes in the wilderness.” He added that the defectors took undue advantage of the loss of PDP at the centre to reposition themselves as APC members to curry favour and attract patronage from the APC leadership. He said it was most shameful and disheartening that persons leaving the party were the key men of the former President.

Makbere said the administration of Dickson has recorded many achievements in key areas of good governance, rule of law, safety of life and property, education, rural electrification construction ad equipment of hospitals. He said: “We are not perturbed by these show of shame because the party ad the government enjoy massive support from within and outside the state. We use this opportunity to appeal to our teaming party supporters ad the general public to remain calm and collected and have unflinching confidence in the government and the party.”

Dickson’s divided cabinet The governor’s cabinet seems to be divided over his governorship ambition. Some of his aides are holding talks with a leading governorship aspirant in the APC. Serving commissioners and other aides are in league with opposition elements to scuttle the governor’s second term ambition.

The aides attended an anti-Dickson’s meeting convened in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State by the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe. A source who spoke in confidence said Alaibe is determined to clinch the ticket of the APC and that he may make his ambition public in July.

He said: “Timi Alaibe hosted a meeting in Port Harcourt. I have the names of Dickson’s aides who were in attendance. Even people in government are in the opposition. The governor is aware of all the moves by some of his appointees to join forces with his detractors and move against him,” he said.

Therefore, despite the claims of the PDP, observers believe that the internal friction PDP is unhealthy for a party that intends to avoid another round of defeat in the immediate past President’s home state. Allowing heavyweights to depart the party is actually depleting the ranks of the PDP and threatening its chances in he forthcoming poll.

THE NATION MONDAY JUNE 29, 2015

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I believe the political class should allow Ekiti people to ‘enjoy the consequence or benefit of the choice which they made on June 21, 2014 with their eyes wide open ’

POLITICS Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi represented Ekiti North in the Senate between June 2011 and June 2015. He was Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior. In this interview with ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA, Adetunmbi xrays the political climate in Ekiti State and the country in general. Among other things, he expresses optimism that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will bounce back to power at the next governorship election.

‘Fayose must begin to deliver on his promises’

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OW true is the accusation by Governor Ayodele Fayose that former Governor Kayode Fayemi diverted N4 billion into funding ACN? It would appear that since Governor Fayose came into office, he has strangely pitched himself and his government as an opposition to a governor and government that is no longer in office. This is a sterile and fruitless pursuit. You don’t keep flogging a dead horse and Fayemi bashing cannot compensate, nor be a cover up for non performance by his government. He will be one year old in office in October and the time clicks so fast that before you know it, the term would be over. I think the time has come for the Governor Fayose to face governance and service delivery; electioneering and elections are over and elections petitions have been concluded. Governor Fayose should begin to make efforts to deliver his electoral obligations to the people and spend less time on the pages of newspapers. If he has evidence of financial infractions by the past government, he should take the matter up with appropriate authorities and stop the hysteria.

People are worried about the impact of Fayose’s controversies on the image of the state. What do you think of the person of Governor Fayose.

What do I think of Governor Fayose? You see, a man can only speak out of the abundance of his heart and as man thinks so is he. You don’t need to ask me what I think of Fayose. Quite frankly and truly speaking I don’t think anything of him. Take his words and those spoken on his behalf, evaluate them against ethical, moral, social and cultural standards. That is the man. We all are defined by our actions and the words that we speak.

Do you think that Ekiti people are getting what they bargained for?

I hold the view very strongly that a people deserve the leaders that they get. I believe the political class should allow Ekiti people to enjoy the consequence or benefit of the choice which they made on June 21, 2014 with their eyes wide open. The people made a free choice, in spite of the fact that they will not have another chance till four years

time. I am yet to find a substitute for choice and learning, it doesn’t matter how many times you do it, you keep at it until you have come to the point of knowledge and conviction about what is good and what is right for you. I think it is democratic to allow Ekiti people to get to this point of knowledge and conviction of what is good and right for them. It’s a free world.

What are the chances of your party in future elections in Ekiti?

I am sure you have heard the popular saying before, ‘no condition is permanent’; when a person is down the only way he can go is up. That is the benefit of setback; it becomes the springboard for our new elevation and testimonies. A planted seed must first die before it can bring harvest in multiples of self. The defeat of the APC in recent elections in the state is a proverbial seed that must of necessity decompose before it can bring forth a new harvest. In our electoral democracy, that period of our party’s rebirth in the state is four years.

But, your party is going through a serious crisis at the moment. How would the crisis help in the rebirth of the party?

Yes, there are misunderstandings, but we are not at war. It is also not correct to say that some people want to get rid of former governor Fayemi or anyone for that matter.

We remain a big family of children from different mothers. There are those who had issues with the style of the last government and the roles of some notable persons within that government. Mind you, it’s the style and not its essence; Fayemi’s public conduct and performance are exemplary. The government also rebranded the state and put it

strongly in positive ways on the national map. We all should confess and commend that. There are those who feel they have to get what they want now and are unwilling to wait for another round of opportunities.

You also have this category that feel they deserve better recognition and attention; better patronage and privileges. All these feelings of entitlement are legitimate and coequal. This is especially so given the exceptional circumstances that brought that government into office. We had an all inclusive peoples struggle that delivered the state from electoral heist of April 2007 and the people feel a strong need for personal and private reward for their roles in the struggle. These are my readings of the issues at the underbelly of the conflicts that you described. It’s a combination of logic and emotions and clearly of perceptions, delayed rapprochement and lack of consensual resolution.

The situation was not helped by a rebellious silence and breakdown of communication within and between critical segments of the party and the government.

Is there any hope of reconciliation in the APC? The disappointing expectations of all interest groups from the Supreme Court judgment on the judicial challenge of the elections to the closed window of impeachment with the expiration of term of office of G19 in June has created a level playing field within the party. I think it’s crunch time for all of us to return to the family table. I believe the atmosphere is ripe for reconciliation. Everyone is a loser and no one is standing on higher ground. You see, failure is a leveler and a good teacher for the wise.

It is also not correct to say that some people want to get rid of former governor Fayemi or anyone for that matter. We remain a big family of children from different mothers. There are those who had issues with the style of the last government and the roles of some notable persons within that government

‘How Buhari can succeed’

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GROUP, Youths Change Nigeria, has said President Muhammadu Buhari is the leader of Nigeria, not just of the All Progressives Congress (APC), hence it will be wrong to cloak him in a partisan toga.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday, the organization’s National Leader, Mr. Seun Bobade, said the moment Buhari was sworn in as President on May 29th, he became the leader of all Nigerians, irrespective of their party affiliations.

“We have been following the controversy over the comment purportedly made by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that President Buhari is not the leader of the APC. We watched the interview in which Alhaji Lai Mohammed made the comments, and we can say without equivocating that his comments have been taken out of context.

“What we believe Alhaji Lai Mohammed said in that interview is that while President Buhari is a loyal party man and the product of his party’s primaries, it will be wrong for anyone to pigeon hole him as just the leader of the APC, because as President, he is the leader of Nigeria.

“The President himself said that much in his inaugural speech of

May 29th. The President said inter alia: ‘I would like to thank the millions of our supporters who believed in us even when the cause seemed hopeless. I salute their resolve in waiting long hours in rain and hot sunshine to register and cast their votes and stay all night if necessary to protect and ensure their votes count and were counted.

“I thank those who tirelessly carried the campaign on the social media. At the same time, I thank our other countrymen and women who did not vote for us but contributed to make our democratic culture truly competitive, strong and definitive. I thank all of you.

Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President of All Nigerians (emphasis ours).

“We are therefore constrained to warn those who have been seeking to make a mountain out of a molehill over the comment purportedly made by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC to desist from their distracting game, unless of course they have an ulterior motive for pushing their jaundiced views,’’ the Youths for Change Nigeria said.

It reminded Nigerians that in the United States, after which Nigeria has modeled its system of govern-

•Senator Adetunmbi

Our collective failure as a party and political class is a unique opportunity for introspection and rebirth. I don’t see any individual or group that is saying ‘no’ to reconciliation by a credible and trusted third party to rescue the party from its self-inflicted rift.

Is the APC ready for the role of the opposition?

The APC and its predecessor political parties are reputed to be the most experienced, most skillful and longest standing opposition parties in Nigeria since independence.

Once we close ranks, embrace a new path of remorse and reconciliation then we will be able to halt the drift to anomy in the state and put a stop to the circus that is going on.

Now that you are out of the Senate, what next for you?

I came out of professional practice into politics and I have since returned to my work. I have a strong second address that will keep me occupied and fulfilled. I am grateful to God, my party and the good people of Ekiti North for the privilege of serving them in the Senate these past four year. It’s an experience I will forever cherish.

Ashafa urges APC lawmakers to unite

S

•Buhari

ment, the President - at this time Mr. Barack Obama - is not seen and addressed as the leader of the Democratic Party but the leader of the United States of America.

“It may be a different ball game in a parliamentary system, but that is not what our country is practising at this moment,” the organization said.

Youth for Change Nigeria called for an end to unnecessary bickering and controversies that do not contribute positively to ensuring the welfare and security of Nigerians - which is the reason for the existence of any government.

ENATOR Gbenga Ashafa, (Lagos East) has urged All Progressives Congress (APC), lawmakers to close ranks and settle down to work.

Ashafa, who made this statement against the background of the misunderstanding in the National Assembly, said they have to settle down to work, given the enormity of the tasks before them.

He said the APC Senators Unity Forum, the Senators of Like Minds and others in the 8th Senate should collapse their structures and form a united and progressive front that will work with the new leadership of the Red Chamber in the interest of the people.

Ashafa said: “We have to realise that the hopes of Nigerians are high. The new government has amassed a lot of political capital -- having been elected as a result of the massive build-up of goodwill for our various candidates in the elections and the stark disenchantment with the previous administration.

•Ashafa

By David Lawal

“As a result, the goodwill of Nigerians must not be taken for granted. So, I make this call for one Nigeria and it starts with us.

We should see ourselves as one Senate, united for the progress of our various constituents and translating change into policies and laws that will, in turn, yield tangible and beneficial results for everyone.”

Senator Ashafa urged all APC members, irrespective of their political leanings, to put aside their personal ambitions for now.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

NATION SPORT

TRANSFER.. TRANSFER.. TRANSFER.. TRANSFER.. TRANSFER..

Arda: We're speaking with three or four clubs

•Turan

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HE Turkey international said not all of the transfer rumours about him are "entirely correct" but admitted that he is set to leave the Vicente Calderon Atletico Madrid ace Arda Turan has revealed that his agent has opened talks with three or four clubs amid reports that he could be

bound for Barcelona.

The Turkey international still has two years to run on his contract with the Rojiblancos but his agent, Ahmet Bulut, has already publicly expressed his client's desire to leave the Vicente Calderon this summer, with England the midfielder's preferred destination.

Paris Saint-Germain and

AC Milan are also interested in Arda, while Barcelona became the latest club to be linked with the 28-year-old earlier this week.

The player has now taken to Twitter to effectively confirm his departure, yet refused to clarify exactly what sides want to sign him.

"The transfer rumors are not entirely correct," he

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summer, according to Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta.

The France international, 22, has been one of the biggest talking points of the transfer market with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain all heavily linked with signing him.

Barca are also among the clubs leading the chase but Laporta is concerned with reports that members of the interim board will be travelling to Turin on

Wednesday to negotiate with Juve prior to the July 18 election.

The ex-president - who is bidding to oust Josep Maria Bartomeu as the Catalans' chief - said earlier this week he was confident of signing Pogba if elected due to his close links with agent Mino Raiola, but believes the club should be waiting until after the vote before making any formal approach.

"I have a bad feeling about what the interim management

board are up to," Laporta said at a charity event in Barcelona in reference to the recent Pogba reports. "It is an improper way for an outgoing board to act.

"I hope they do not continue along this path. They have already sold Gerard Deulofeu [to Everton for •6 million] and now they want to sign players who are worth large amounts.

"It is abnormal that a management board not elected by the members do these things.

It may upset members.

Evans: Sterling´s Anfield exit must be a done deal

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•Pogba

OY Evans thinks Liverpool's recent spending spree has been sanctioned because Raheem Sterling's big-money move away from Anfield is inevitable.

Manchester City have reportedly had two bids rejected for the 20-year-old winger, who has sparked intense speculation over his future on Merseyside after contract talks stalled.

While the Sterling saga threatens to rumble on, boss Brendan Rodgers has been busy overseeing a closeseason squad overhaul that has resulted in James Milner, Danny Ings, Adam Bogdan, Joe Gomez and Roberto Firmino arriving, with Nathaniel Clyne strongly rumoured to be the next new signing.

Firmino cost an estimated £29million from Hoffenheim,

Charlton Athletic pocketed a reported £3.5m for Gomez and Ings' fee following his switch from Burnley looks set to be decided by a tribunal.

And Evans, the former Liverpool manager, reckons the recent flurry of transfer activity at Liverpool is no coincidence.

Evans told talkSPORT: "If you look at the transfer market and the way it has been with the amount of players Liverpool have bought, I think that [Raheem Sterling's sale] must be in the equation.

"I don't think they would be spending the amount of money they have if they didn't feel Raheem Sterling was already a done deal to somewhere."

Liverpool have been by far the busiest Premier League team since the 2014-15 season ended and Evans

M

ASSIMILIANO Allegri has confirmed Juventus are in the market for a new attacking midfielder and highlighted Real Madrid playmaker Isco and Chelsea star Oscar as ideal potential signings.

The Scudetto and Coppa Italia winners went painfully close to winning the treble in 2014-15, losing to Spanish champions Barcelona in the Champions League final.

Now Allegri has openly revealed his admiration of creative talents Isco and Oscar, in addition to Sassuolo's Domenico Berardi and Fiorentina's Federico Bernardeschi.

With Carlos Tevez leaving for Boca Juniors and Andrea Pirlo expected to join New York City, the head coach is keen to freshen up his tactical approach and playing squad next season to replace the departing established stars.

"I would like a footballing

inventor - they are never boring," Allegri told La Repubblica. "A wildcard in the line-up can bring a different balance to the table.

"Ego in moderate amounts is not harmful to a team's health. I like Real Madrid's Isco and Brazil's Oscar, while among the young Italians there is much to admire in Berardi and Bernardeschi.

"The addition of a No.10 to the mix is both a tactical desire and a desire to add ego to my team.

"Without Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo this coming season, Juve must change and experiment with new ways of working."

Despite being a firm fan favourite, Isco has been linked with a Real Madrid exit after spending two seasons without cementing a place in the starting XI when every player is fully fit, although Rafael Benitez's arrival as head coach could change his status.

wrote. "My agent is currently in touch with 3-4 clubs. I will update you all if a deal is made."

Arda joined Atletico from Galatasaray in 2011 and has enjoyed a successful spell at the Calderon, helping the capital club win La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Europa League and Uefa Super Cup.

Juventus to sell Pogba, claims Laporta HE Barcelona presidential hopeful believes the Serie A champions will sell the midfielder, but wants the club to wait until after the election process before making a move Juventus have indicated that they want to sell Paul Pogba this

Allegri confirms Isco & Oscar interest

added: "I like the idea that they're trying to do business early rather than wait until the end of the transfer window.

•Sterling

Van Hooijdonk warns Van Gaal over Depay tactics

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IERRE van Hooijdonk hopes Louis van Gaal is tactically astute enough to ensure that Manchester United's latest big-money signing Memphis Depay does not become an Old Trafford flop.

Depay formally completed his move from PSV earlier this month – the transfer was initially announced in May – and the young forward has been warned by fellow Dutchman Ronald Koeman to expect a tricky transition as he attempts to acclimatise to the Premier League.

Former Netherlands international Van Hooijdonk thinks Van Gaal needs to think carefully about how he deploys the 21-year-old, who netted 22 Eredivisie goals in 2014-15 en route to winning the title.

Van Gaal and Depay worked together at international level, a relationship that ex-Celtic striker Van Hooijdonk believes will be crucial.

"I don't know yet how Depay will fit in and in which position, but when you sign a forward player you have to be very careful," Van Hooijdonk told the Sunday People.

"You have to create an environment the player has played in.

"A lot of coaches take a player out of that environment and put him in a different environment, and then it’s not going to happen.

"Memphis plays on the left.

I don't think he will play on the right. Maybe he could play in the two up front.

"He is capable of creating -something and making things -happen, and he can score goals.

"These qualities these days are very important. Many teams struggle to score goals.

"He's not a central forward, he plays more from the left and comes inside quite a lot. He still needs to find the right balance."

•Depay

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

51

52

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

With ekpoita :funtreatsvilla@yahoo.com / 08077706130

DOWN

ACROSS 1. Celebration (9) 6. Greeting (2) 7. Documentation (6) 9. Indelible Mark (4) 10. Former (2) 11. Spread Out (3) 12. Final (4) 14, Resounding Noise (4) 15. In direction of (2) 16, Myself (2) 17. Eager (4) 19. Young Boy (3) 20. Father Christmas (10) 24. Being (2) 26. Tinkle (6) 27. Perform (2) 28. Tease (6)

1. Impression (4) 2. Cereal (4) 3. Created (4) 4. Amuse (6) 5. Celebration of Christ’s birth(9) 8. Free Air (6) 11. Paths (5) 13. Clawed 18. Deserve (4) 19. Juvenile (3) 21. Story (4) 22. So be it (4) 23. Musical Note (2) 25. Gladness (3)

SUDOKU To play the game, simply fill in the missing numbers in the grid such that every row, column and 2 by 3 box contains the numbers 1-6.

SANDS OF TIME GARY COLEMAN

PERSONALITY MAZE Solve the puzzle by providing alternative words to the clues below.

Each letter of your word has a place in the grid as indicated by the numbers beside the clues.

1.

9

2

8

3

7

CLUES Press (1,9,5,6,7) Roof (2,8,3,4)

4

5

6

Your answer will unfold an appendage of the photo inset

Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Arnold Jackson in Diff’rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as “one of television’s most promising stars”.

Without a doubt Gary Coleman was THE child TV star of the late 1970s and early 1980s. A refreshingly confident little tyke with sparkling dark, saucer-like eyes and an ingratiating, take-on-anyone burst of personality, the boy charmed the pants right off of TV viewers the minute he was glimpsed in national commercials. Amazed by how mature he came across, Gary was in truth older than he looked, which was brought upon by a congenital kidney condition. Sadly, the pint-sized phenomena outgrew his chubby-cheeked welcome and found the course of his grown-up Hollywood career brutally rough and patchy.

In addition to his life-long health issues, Gary’s adult problems came in the form of scattered financial and legal entanglements, as well as scrapes with the law. He was once arrested in 1999 for punching a persistent female autograph fan, in which he was fined and ordered to take anger-management classes. He also had many disorderly conduct and reckless driving charges brought up against him at various times. He would admit that the tally of his life problems led to more than a few feigned suicide attempts In 1989, Coleman successfully sued his adopted parents and business manager after they allegedly pilfered his youthful fortune for their own self interest totaling $3.8 million in losses, and he won $1,280,000. Despite the large settlement, all of the money was soon spent on taxes, legal fees,

Pep Talk

CROSS NUMBER Find the correct numbers to fill in the missing spaces in the grid to ensure that vertical numbers total to figures below, horizontal numbers total figures on the right while diagonal numbers total figures on top and bottom right

COLEMAN CONT’D as well as his increasingly high medical bills for his continuing dialysis treatments.

In 2007, he married the much younger actress Shannon Price, whom he met on the set of the low budget film Church Ball (2006), but the quickly marriage dissolved quickly into domestic squabbles that put him in front of the court system yet again on domestic abuse charges Filed for bankruptcy in 1999. In order to earn money, he worked as a security guard.

As a gag, he ran for California’s 2003 governorship during its recall election.

The fragile condition of his health coupled with this lack of adult career acceptance, sparked an aggressively defensive behavior mechanism in his adult years and led to great personal unhappiness, chronic legal/financial hassles and early death.

The brain hemorrhage that eventually led to his death, was a result of a fall at his home in Utah (on May 26th) that put him into a coma. His ex-wife Shannon Price, who was with him at his home at the time of the fall, made the 911 call. It was also Price who eventually made the decision to take Coleman off life support.

“The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. It illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than in things”. - Thomas S. Monson

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

53

NEWS APC: Okowa part of Delta financial crisis

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•From left: General Manager Sales/Distribution, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mr Ken Esenwah; former Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, Mr. Gilbert Nnaji; Clerk, Senate House Committee on Communications, Mr. Kayode Kolawole; Chief Corporate Services Officer, Mr. Tobe Okigbo and Chief Marketing Officer, Mrs. Alero Ladipo, both of Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, at the unveiling of the Abuja office of Smile Communications Nigeria Limited.

Boko Haram: APC blames Obiano for causing traders’ protest

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NAMBRA State All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Willie Obiano of masterminding last Saturday’s massive protest against the alleged relocation of Boko Haram suspects to Southeast prisons.

Last Saturday, all the markets in Anambra State were shut by traders, led by the President of Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA), Chief Chukwudi Ezenwankwo.

Hundreds of traders blocked the major roads from Onitsha-Enugu Expressway to Ekwulobia, Awka and Nnewi.

They carried placards and chanted war songs.

Security was put on the alert to maintain law and order.

In a statement yesterday in Awka, the state capital, by its Publicity Secretary, Okelo Madukaife, APC said it was not happy with the involvement of the state government in the protest.

The party condemned the action of the traders.

APC said: “We have also gathered that the government used traders and other unsuspecting citizens to obstruct free flow of traffic on federal highways, including the entry points into Anambra State.

“In the first place, we do not see it as a business of the Anambra State Government to instigate demonstrations, let alone close down businesses in the state to achieve same.

“We find it difficult to understand why the business of

No insurgency suspect sent to Anambra, says Ogene

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FORMER member of the House of Representatives, Victor Afam Ogene, has urged Anambra State residents, especially traders, to discountenance the rumours of the transfer of Boko Haram convicts to the state.

The former lawmaker urged them to reopen their markets and businesses, which were shut at the weekend, following the apprehensions the rumour caused among the residents.

Ogene, who represented Ogbaru Federal Constituency of the state, was the House spokesperson.

He noted that although the prisons were under the Federal Government, it was inconceivable that persons awaiting trial for insurgency would be transferred to states outside the jurisdiction where they are being tried.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Ogene said: “So far, I don’t think there are more than five convictions for Boko Haram offences in Nigeria. Indeed, the bulk of those in custody for insurgency are awaiting trial inmates, who are routinely brought to court near their places of remand - certainly not anywhere near From Nwanosike Onu, Awka

our state and hence our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) should be disrupted with every political brainwave. By extension, we do not see market unions as government departments but trade unions in place for the welfare of traders.

“Secondly, the deployment of inmates to prisons around the country is a federal government affair guided by prime paramilitary considerations, and managed by the Nigerian Prisons Service to which all lawful authorities in Anambra State have access.

“Third, there is no clear directive issuing from the Nigerian Prisons Service or

the Southeast.”

The former lawmaker recalled that, following last Saturday’s protest, he contacted some officials at the Presidency and was assured that nothing of the sort was being contemplated.

He said there was a political motive behind the rumours.

Ogene wondered why the Anambra State Government was silent for over 24 hours, when the state’s economy and life in its commercial cities were grounded.

He queried: “Could there be a correlation between Governor Obiano’s recent boast that he would not allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) to gain a foothold in Anambra State and the recent protests to malign the APC-led Federal Government?”

Ogene reminded Obiano that electioneering was over, adding that the governor should not covertly or overtly pitch the people of Anambra State and the Southeast against the APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

any other arm of the Federal Government under our knowledge that has been communicated or known to the Anambra public and, as such, it is like moving in a whirlwind with the risk of endangering the lives of unsuspecting citizens to respond to any such whirlwind tales.

“The decision of the state government, not only to close markets and rob businessmen in those markets of the day’s earnings without equally denying those in government of today’s pleasures in high places, is a political whiff guided by a selfserving and self-preserving desire to incite the good people of Anambra State against

the Federal Government and, by extension, the APC, particularly in Anambra State.

“We urge the good people of Anambra State to avoid building their lives around rumours, knowing that during the SAP Riots of 1989, many lives were lost before the nation understood that they were reacting to false rumours.

“Rather we urge fellow citizens to strengthen access to official information and go about their normal and lawful businesses. “...Henceforth, we urge that all orders to close markets in Anambra State must be properly declared and gazetted to avoid shifts in responsibility.”

Govt to Ihedioha: don’t cause crisis in Imo

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HE Imo State Government has warned former House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha to stop making unfounded allegations against Governor Rochas Okorocha.

The government urged him to concentrate on his case before the Election Petitions Tribunal, instead of crying wolf where there was none.

Ihedioha was the Imo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the April 11 election.

The former lawmaker re-

From Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

portedly accused the Okorocha of diverting the state’s resources to acquire estates in and outside the country when the workers were owed salary arrears.

But in a statement in Owerri, the state capital, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary Sam Onwuemeodo urged Ihedioha to stop disrupting the peace.

The statement said: “Ihedioha is not the only Imo man or the only Nigerian who ran the governorship election

and lost. Imo State cannot stop existing because he failed in an election. He should face his case at the Election Petitions Tribunal like other candidates in other states and stop talking as if he is still on election campaigns.

“He should also stop insulting the governor as if he derives pleasure from doing so. He had run for the governorship and he has failed or refused to respect the governor on seat and the office.

“It is also unfortunate that a man who had been in the House of Representatives for

12 years and Deputy Speaker of the same House for four years, and who is expected to know the efficacy of respecting political office, like that of the governor, was taking delight in abusing his governor without provocation.

“Ihedioha’s party, the PDP, governed the state for 12 years and could not renovate one school and Imo people did not accuse them of stealing the state’s funds. He has the audacity to accuse a man who had done in four years what the PDP could not do in 12 years of stealing the state’s fund.”

HE g o v e r n o r o f Delta state, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, was very much a very important part of the system that had in the last 16 years worked to put the state in the path of its current economic crisis, the All Progressives’ Party (APC) has alleged.

The APC, in a statement issued by its Media Adviser in Delta state, Dr Martins Mukoro, warned the people of the state not to get carried away by the governor’s recent alarm over the huge indebtedness currently borne by the state, describing it as mere “playing to the gallery”.

The party described as embarrassing and an insult to the sensibility of Deltans , Dr Okowa’s attempt to ‘shed crocodile tears’ over the huge debt profile of the state totalling over 600 billion naira, which his predecessor left behind.

According to the party, Okowa was merely setting the stage by crying wolf to divert attention and in order to lay the foundation for him to go borrowing more money, thereby plunging the state into a deeper financial disaster.

The APC recalled having earlier forewarned Deltans, during the campaigns, that Okowa represents NO CHANGE but more of the SAME of PDP’s 16 years of mis- rule.

“From Gov Okowa’s days as Commissioner, multiple times under Gov Ibori to his days as the Secretary to the Government under Gov Uduaghan that

From Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

accumulated these debts , he has no moral excuse to attempt to distance himself as if he was an onlooker or bystander while the state was being wrecked!

“Okowa was not an onlooker but a key participant and a major co-conspirator in wrecking the finances and Economy of Delta State and he is in no position to rescue Delta from the mess created by him and the past Pdp Administrations.

“If indeed Gov Okowa insist he has been an onlooker and truly expect deltans to believe he was not party to the financial rot, let him immediately and urgently institute a panel to probe the huge debt overhang in order to unearth how it was accumulated and who were the beneficiaries of the massive plundering of our commonwealth! Until then, Gov Okowa can’t pull wool over our eyes”, the statement added.

The party urged all Deltans to brace up for the change that has been dela y e d a n d b e r e a d y t o seize the opportunity of the expected re-run that may soon be ordered by the ongoing elections tribunal to support the APC at all levels to effect the desired change that will bring relief, a breath of fresh air and freedom from a political dynasty of corruption in Delta State, the statement ended.

Ebonyi APC condemns appointment of CJ’s wife into Umahi’s Exco

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HE Ebonyi State All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the appointment of the wife of the Chief Judge (CJ), Mrs Lilian Nwankwo, as the Sole Administrator of the state’s Local Government Service Commission.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting and signed by its Acting Chairman, Pastor Eze Nwachukwu Eze and Publicity Secretary, Ngaji Nwodo, the party noted that such appointment would have effect on the Judiciary.

According to the communiqué, the APC noted the unpreparedness of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration for good leadership, as demonstrated by its policies and administrative summersaults, including vindictiveness.

It said: “This shows that it is not only lacking in focus and ideas but it is also not the type of government Ebonyi residents are yearning for.”

APC pledged to build one indivisible, indissoluble and united front to win future elections in the state.

It said: “To achieve this, the meeting advised that all known internal wrangling and cleavages - wherever they had existed - should be eradicated to ensure that the

From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

APC wins all future elections, especially the governorship election.

The party expressed appreciation for its optimum growth, as recorded by the recent influx of members of other parties into its fold.

APC said: “The new members would be accorded equal rights and opportunities, as provided for in the party’s constitution.”

But PDP’s State Chairman Joseph Onwe noted that APC’s criticism of Mrs Nwankwo’s appointment was political.

He said: “The appointment has nothing to do with the Judiciary, as the Chief Judge’s wife is neither a judge nor a member of the Judiciary.”

The PDP chairman said she would not meddle in the affairs of the Judiciary.

Onwe said the policies of the state government under the PDP were aimed at developing the state and bringing democratic dividends to the people.

He said: “Other states are applying the same policies because they are aimed at reducing the costs of governance and bringing development to the people.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

54

NEWS DPR shuts two filling stations

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HE Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) at the weekend in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, shut two petrol stations for allegedly adjusting their pump prices to cheat the public.

The stations are NIPCO on Ajase-Ipo Road and Success on New Yidi Road.

It was learnt that the filling stations adjusted their metres upward, thereby cheating customers.

Instead of 10 litres of fuel as displayed on the pumping machine, the agency discovered that the stations sold 8.7 litres.

Members of the DPR task force, who were monitoring activities at filling stations, discovered the fraud and shut the stations.

The team summoned the management of the stations to appear before it and explain the alleged sharp practice.

The task force warned

Kano restates commitment to health From Kolade Adeyemi, Kano

KANO State government has reiterated its determination to tap human and material resources to ensure qualitative healthcare services.

Receiving members of the Association of Resident Doctors, Kano State chapter, in his office, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabiru Getso, described them as partners in progress.

He urged them to imbibe the spirit of togetherness with the government and prioritise the sanctity of life and safety of individuals above any other consideration.

The association President, Dr. Sirajo Yakubu, said they were at the commissioner’s office to congratulate him on his appointment.

From Adekunle Jimoh, ilorin

three stations in the metropolis to adhere to the rules and regulations of the department or face sanctions.

The Operation Controller of the state DPR, Mr. Amos Jokodola, an engineer, who spoke on the development, said the agency would not hesitate to close down any station found to be cheating buyers.

Represented by the acting Deputy Manager, Retails Outlets, Mr. Ishola Joshua, the controller warned filling stations selling fuel at N100 per litre to desist.

He said the department would continue to monitor the activities of the stations to ensure compliance.

•Former President Shehu Shagari (left), exchanging pleasantries with Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, at his home in Sokoto... yesterday.

PDP chair: Ortom is still our member

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ENUE State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Dr. Samuel Agbo has said Governor Samuel Ortom is still a member of the party, according to party guidelines.

Addressing the first news conference since the party lost the governorship and presidential elections, Dr. Agbo, who was with the Deputy Chairman, Zone B, Godwin Ayihe, Secretary, Bem Dzoho and Deputy Chairman, Zone A, Alhaji Ibrahim Anor, said Ortom, who served the party as secretary, deputy chairman, national auditor and minister was supposed to tender his letter of resignation to the national secretariat in Abuja, instead of the ward chairman.

He said going by the PDP constitution, “the governor is still our member.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tahav Agerzua, said PDP’s statement was an indication that the party had not recovered from the trauma of defeat in the last elections.

Said he: “The trauma has

•APC spokesman: you’re yet to recover from defeat From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

affected the chairman’s memory, reasoning and logic. Otherwise, how can he claim that Governor Ortom is still a member of his party when the Federal High Court in Makurdi dismissed the PDP case, which sought to establish that claim?

“Before the court decision, Governor Ortom resigned from the PDP on December 9 last year and handed over his resignation letter to the PDP Ward chairman at Nzorov Ward of Guma Local Government, Felix Agbaka.

tion that someone can be talking about constitutional provisions, yet he forgets or glosses over one of the most fundamental, which is the freedom of association.

“Maybe the PDP runs a prison and its officials have to shout of a jailbreak anytime a member leaves.

“Besides, the responsibility of interpreting the constitution is that of the courts of law and not that of an interested party, who is both a complainant and a judge in his own matter.

“Agbo’s statement amounts to a tantrum of a bad loser yet to recover from the trauma of a defeat.”

Suspected kidnappers free Kogi judge

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USPECTED kidnappers yesterday freed a Kogi State High Court judge, Justice Samuel Obayomi.

A source told our correspondent that the judge, who was kidnapped about a month ago on his way to Ebogogo High Court in Adavi Local Government,

From James Azania, Lokoja

where he presides, was freed yesterday morning.

Although his abductors demanded N150million ransom, it could not be confirmed if the money was paid.

On the day of his kidnap,

his police orderly, Cpl. Usman Musa, was shot dead.

Police spokesman ‘Sola Collins Adebayo confirmed that the judge had been freed.

Pressed for details, he pleaded for time, urging our correspondent to call back.

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

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ENUE State government is to carry out an audit of its workforce before the payment of June salary.

Governor Samuel Ortom, who spoke yesterday when the forum of former local government chairmen visited him at the Benue Peoples House, said the exercise became necessary following the need to flush out ghost workers.

He said financial leakages would be blocked to ensure prudence.

The governor said his administration would use the loan it would obtain to pay two months salaries.

Ortom said his government would also use the loan to tackle challenges, such as accreditation of programmes at the College of Health Sciences of the Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, take-off of the House of Assembly and other government business.

He told members of the forum that his administration would follow due process in its dealings, stressing the need for them to cooperate with it to succeed.

Supporters ask for Audu’s return

Air Force men arrest ‘robber’

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FFICERS of the Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Tactical Air Command (TAC) headquarters in Makurdi, Benue State, have arrested a suspected robber at a checkpoint near the NAF main gate in Makurdi.

The bandit, Emeka Joseph, was arrested with locally-made pistols with eight rounds of 9mm ammunition and a stolen Sienna bus registered as LSD 524 AE. Briefing reporters, the Commandant, 35 Base Service Group (BSG), Air Commodore Olusesan Idowu, said the bus was snatched from Mrs. Susan Audu, who left a church near Modern Market in Makurdi.

He said the suspect was nabbed at the second NAF checkpoint.

Two pistols with eight rounds of 9mm ammunition was found on him.

The commandant said

“How can Dr. Agbo forget so soon that the people came out in April with a determination to throw away the yoke of a party that brought them untold hardship and bad governance, which led to the collapse of government institutions?

“How can he forget so soon that the electorate were against the PDP that the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not need to rig anywhere, but just to protect the votes of its candidates?

“Rather, it was the PDP that engaged in massive rigging in many parts of the state.

“It beats one’s imagina-

Benue to embark on staff audit

•Emeka with local pistols.

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

the suspect had been handed over to the Special Anti Robbery Squad led by ASP Abu Francis for interrogation and prosecution.

The 13 NAF men, who apprehended the robber, have been given letters of commendation.

Air Commodore Idowu presented the letters and urged the officers to do more.

HOUSANDS of supporters of former Kogi State Governor Abubakar Audu at the weekend besieged Lokoja Township Stadium, asking him to contest the governorship election.

Led by women and youths under the aegis of the Vision G63 Voice of the Grassroots, they clamoured for Audu’s return to the Lugard House “to rescue Kogi State from economic doldrums and infrastructural decay.”

The group’s leader, Hajia Amina Musa, said they asked for Audu’s return because they could no longer witness the state falling like a pack of cards.

She said Kogi had remained stagnant since he left the Government House in 2003, adding that they were worried by the high level of infrastructural decay.

Hajia Musa noted: “We gather here today, having made up our minds and to show our displeasure over the bad condition of the state

From James Azania, Lokoja and Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

and beg Prince Audu to come back and save it from collapse.”

She said Kogi is the most backward in terms of development, adding that it needs the ex-governor to salvage and rescue it from the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The leader enjoined women and youths to be determined to return Audu to power, stressing that he was tested and trusted.

Audu told the crowd that having finished consultations, he would contest the poll, recalling that during his tenure, civil servants received salaries promptly.

He promised to create one million jobs in his first six months in office if elected.

The former governor said he was not out to witch-hunt anyone, noting that nobody offended him.

He sought forgiveness from anyone he might have

offended.

According to him, “the 12 years of PDP misrule will soon be a thing of the past.

When I was the governor from 1999 to 2003, I did not owe civil servants. Those retrenched were reinstated.

“I will create one million jobs for the unemployed graduates.

“Your days of suffering are numbered. By this time next year, many of you will have jobs, build houses, buy cars and marry. I have done it before and I will do it again.”

A group of Kogi State indigenes resident in Kaduna State under the aegis of the Concerned Kaduna Progressives (CKP) has urged wellmeaning individuals from the state to support the aspiration of Prince Audu.

The Chairman of the body, Alhaji Yusuf Nda Ibrahim, spoke when interacting with reporters in Kaduna at the weekend.

He said the call became imperative, considering the sorry state Kogi was in, following bad governance.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

55

NEWS Stern law on kidnapping soon in Rivers

Ayade: Calabar garment factory to generate 1,000 jobs

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ROSS River State Governor Ben Ayade said yesterday the Calabar garment factory will generate over 1,000 jobs when completed in August.

Ayade addressed representatives of the host communities at the project site on the Goodluck Jonathan bypass.

He said: “Upon completion, the Calabar garment factory is expected to generate about 1,000 jobs, the bulk of which would be women, particularly widows.”

Ayade said the inauguration of the factory was one of the projects he designed to celebrate his first 100 days in office.

The governor said the equipment for the factory had been procured, adding that the project would be a major employer of labour.

He said: “Apart from women, the factory will also provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths roaming the streets.”

IVERS State Governor Nyesom Wike has said his administration is planning to amend the anti-kidnapping law to empower the government to demolish or seize the property of kidnappers.

The governor said the bill would be sent to the House of Assembly for amendment.

He said under his watch, no kidnappers or their sponsors would benefit from the proceeds of the crime.

Wike spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, at a special thanksgiving service at the Royal House of Grace.

He said: “Under our watch, no kidnappers or their sponsors will enjoy the benefits of the crime. The Attorney-General has brought the bill and it will soon be sent to the House of Assembly.”

The governor also said his administration would take firm action against cultism.

He added that his would not be an era of complaints, but a time to rebuild the state and make it work for people.

Police arrest 30 suspected cultists in Edo From Osagie Otabor, Benin

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HE police in Edo State have arrested 30 suspected cultists in the last one month.

Those arrested have joined the list of the 227 suspected cultists who were remanded in prison custody in May. The police said 20 suspected kidnappers were arrested for abducting prominent persons in the state.

Police Commissioner Samuel Adegbuyi, who addressed reporters in Benin, the state capital, on the security situation, said the suspects were intercepted by the command’s highway patrol teams.

Adegbuyi said 15 kidnap victims were rescued and 107 arms recovered from the suspects.

The police chief said some of the suspects were not Edo residents but used the state as their escape route.

He noted that local vigilantes used their knowledge of the terrain to aid the command in tracking down criminals, even at odd hours.

Adegbuyi said: “Apart from the 227 high profile cultists arraigned in court between May 2 and 9, this year, we have 20 other suspects who have confessed to have kidnapped prominent individuals in the state and even outside the state.

“Fifteen victims of kidnapping have been rescued.

Nine AK-47 rifles were recovered. One Bareta pistol and about 60 locally made weapons as well as some paraphernalia of military outfits were recovered.”

The police chief said highway patrol vehicles had been deployed in Benin-Lagos Road, Benin-Agbor Road, Benin-Akure Road, Auchi-Okpella Road, Ibilo, Ehor and Benin bypass.

C

•Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike (right) receiving a Holy Bible from the state Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Apostle Zilly Aggrey, at the Royal House of Grace in Port Harcourt...yesterday

Presidency, VC disagree on ‘salary discrepancy’ at Otuoke Varsity

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HE Presidency has uncovered an alleged salary discrepancy at the Federal University at Otuoke, former President Goodluck Jonathan’s hometown, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

A document obtained from the university showed that the alleged misappropriation was uncovered by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) during a salary inspection routine.

The commission indicted Vice Chancellor Prof. Mobolaji Aluko and Registrar David Fouwari, for allegedly collecting money in excess of their salaries.

Aluko was said to have collected a monthly N1,970,476 emolument whereas he should not have earned more than N922,810 per month.

Fouwari was reportedly paid N1,130,692 instead of his monthly salary of N502,580.

Also, NSIWC accused the university of disaggregating its workers’ salaries against the Federal Government’s policy of pay consolidation.

In a May 12 letter to Aluko, the commission queried him for flouting extant government pay policies.

•Commissioin demands refunds from VC, Registrar Alleged armed •VC explains salary difference cause not everybody is Diasporobbery: Army ra. It is a sacred issue. allowances to cover some of From Mike Odiegwu, “Part of the reasons these isYenagoa their running costs abroad, in- sues are coming up is that when to discipline soldier The letter, which was signed on behalf of the commission’s chairman by the Director of Compensation, Chike N. Ogbechie, directed the university to stop the “unethical” practices and comply with the rules and rates.

NSIWC also directed the vice chancellor and the registrar to refund the cumulative overpayment to it within four weeks.

Although the letter did not disclose the amount to be refunded by the two top officials, it was learnt that their refunds amount to about N50 million.

Based on the directive of the commission, the ultimatum given to the duo to refund the money expired on June 12.

But Aluko explained that the difference in his salary constituted unconsolidated allowances paid to him in consideration of his Diaspora status.

The vice chancellor said the three vice chancellors hired by the Federal Government from the Diaspora to head some new universities were given special

cluding their pension and health insurance policies.

He said: “The difference is not a salary difference. We are on sabbatical. My family is still abroad and we have health insurance policies. I still have many years in my university abroad...

“If l were to pay all these from my local Nigerian salary, I will have just about N100,000 left per month.”

Aluko said there was no disaggregation of salaries in the institution, adding that not all the allowances were consolidated.

On the registrar’s salary difference, he said it was a responsibility allowance approved for all registrars by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

He said: “The Registrar has a responsibility allowance from ASUU. There is N62,000 per month and it is part of the ASUU agreement. There is another one.

There were certain things that were consolidated and others not consolidated. They can’t consolidate Diaspora allowance be-

we started, we didn’t have a council. Many of the things they said they didn’t approve for us, the council of other schools had approved them and more for their people all this time.”

But the commission’s letter to the vice chancellor said: “You may wish to recall that in October 2013, a team of officers of this commission visited your institution and carried out an inspection of remuneration practices, vis-a-vis the extant government pay policy, as part of the commission’s mandate stipulated in the enabling law.

“The findings of the inspection in respect of your institution were as follows: “The vice chancellor was being paid total emoluments of N1,970,476.76 monthly, whereas he should not earn more than N922,810.23, if he were paid furniture allowance en bloc earlier or N1,043,176.79; if he were being paid furniture allowance monthly. Much of the difference was attributed to certain allowances, which were not approved by the government.”

Church decries endorsement of same-sex marriage

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AST Friday’s ruling of the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court, legalising same-sex marriage has been described as “an attack on the church, Christianity and traditional values”.

A statement from the leadership of Motailatu Church Cherubim and Seraphim Worldwide, signed by His Eminence, Senior Superintendent Gabriel F. Akinadewo (Omo Jesu II) and Senior Apostle Godfrey Dottie, described the action as unfortunate, “coming from a country which adopts ‘In God we Trust’ as its creed.

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“If individuals are involved in homosexuality, we didn’t expect the highest level of judiciary, the Supreme Court, to officially and legally okay such a satanic belief. It was even a surprise to us, as a church, that the highest level of executive, President Barack Obama, has also endorsed this luciferic belief that a man can marry a man and a woman can marry a woman.

“There are countless verses in the Bible to knock off this belief but Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created man and woman. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Adam or Eve and Eve. Genesis 1:31 tells us that

everything God created was good.

“It is unfortunate that many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away from their roots, God’s and Christian values by pursuing policies that challenge God’s wisdom in creating man and woman to replenish the earth.”

“It is true that man has freedom but man’s freedom is not absolute before God. By having faith in God and also believing in satan, the world is gradually slipping away into destruction.

“Since The Netherlands legalised same-sex marriage on

April 1, 2001, about 20 countries, including Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Britain, Brazil, New Zealand, Uruguay, France, Denmark and now the U.S., have joined the devilish train of man sleeping with man and woman sleeping with woman.

“It is a terrible thing for anybody to live without God or, directly or indirectly, fight God through satanic words and action. We, as a church, are telling the world to beware of evil influences capable of incurring God’s wrath. We are telling other parts of the world: ‘stop this satanic action now’.

Buhari‘ll perform, says Oshiomhole

DO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday expressed optimism that President Muhammadu Buhari’s policies would impact positively on Nigerians.

Oshiomhole told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, that “Buhari has the

political will to make things better for Nigerians”.

He added: “I know that President Buhari will do better, because we had a meeting with him last week and he is very conscious that he became a President courtesy of the ordinary people, particularly the poor.

“He is very committed at fashioning out policies and

programmes - social infrastructure and physical infrastructure - that will impact directly on the lives of the average person.

“So, I can assure you that the President is determined to ensure that he justifies the confidence reposed in him.”

The governor urged Nigerians to be patient, adding: “There will be no quick fix

measures because President Buhari inherited a treasury that is almost empty.

“All the same, he has not come to lament that. But he has come to give a new hope, and we are more inspired now.”

Oshiomhole urged Nigerians to support the President and his administration to deliver people-oriented programmes.

By Precious Igbonwelundu

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ODALITIES have been put in place to discipline a soldier who allegedly robbed a 21 year-old boy of N250,000 in Aba, Abia State, the Nigerian Army has said.

Lance Corporal Itugbu Omorodion serving at the 14 Brigade located in Ohafia was arrested by the Police after he allegedly dispossessed his victim of the said cash.

Omorodion was alleged to have attacked his victim identified as Ebuka with a dagger and robbed him of N250,000 which he was going to deposit for his boss in one of the commercial banks on Faulks road in the city.

It was gathered that the victim after being robbed, raised the alarm which attracted passers-by who alerted policemen on patrol in the area. This led to the soldier’s arrest.

Frowning at the news, the army has stated that Omorodion had no business being at Aba at the time he was arrested because he was granted five days pass to see his family in Edo State.

A statement by the Brigade’s spokesman, Captain Sydney Mgbemena said that relevant offices have been notified to investigate and take appropriate actions.

“The Brigade condemns the alleged action of the soldier in its entirety. It is wrong for personnel who has the constitutional powers of protecting the citizenry to turn against them.

“The soldier had no business being in Aba at the time he was alleged to have committed the crime. He was granted five days pass to visit his family in Benin prior to the incident. Instead of proceeding to Benin he diverted to Aba allegedly to hatch the crime.

“The brigade views the conduct of the soldier as a serious offence and passionately urged the public not to allow actions of the soldier affect their earlier impression considering the track record the army has established over the years with regards to the overall security of Aba and Abia State.”

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

56

FOREIGN NEWS Greek debt crisis: Banks ‘to stay shut today

SpaceX rocket explodes after launch

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REEK banks will be closed today, the head of the Piraeus Bank has said after an emergency meeting of the country’s Financial Stability Council.

The Greek cabinet is due to meet later, with an announcement to follow.

Earlier, the European Central Bank said it was not increasing emergency funding to Greek banks.

Banks are expected to shut while capital controls are put in place. That in turn could push Greece towards leaving the eurozone.

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NMANNED SpaceX rocket explodes after liftoff SpaceX said that an “anomaly” had caused the spaceship, named Dragon, to fail and was investigating.

“It is not clear what happened,” NASA said initially.

“The vehicle has broken up.”

SpaceX — which is headed by Musk — has made seven trips to the ISS under a contract the company has with NASA. It is the first company to complete a return trip to the space station, a feat previously achieved by only governments.

The failed cargo flight was carrying more than 2 tons of supplies, including 1,500 pounds of food and provisions for the crew aboard the space station.

In a statement, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said the failure of the resupply mission will not affect the safety of the astronauts on board.

Current supplies should last for several months and resupply flights by other operators are scheduled in coming months.

Three space station astronauts, two Russians and NASA’s Scott Kelly, were awaiting the arrival of SpaceX’s shipment, which was meant to arrive on Tuesday.

In a tweet from space,

•Unmanned spaceX rocket explodes at take off...yesterday.

Kelly, who is the brother-inlaw of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, said he watched the launch. “Space is hard,” he wrote.

SpaceX’s mission is the latest failed attempt to resupply the International Space Station, a laboratory that has been orbiting earth since 1998 and operated jointly by Russia and the U.S. Dragon was also meant to bring nearly 1,400 pounds of supplies in its return trip. The spaceship was scheduled to land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja, California, in about five weeks.

In late April, Russia had to abandon a trip to the ISS after its spacecraft carrying 3 tons of cargo lost control.

And last October, a cargo spacecraft developed by Orbital Sciences destined for the ISS exploded just after the company was awarded a $1.9 billion contract with NASA. (Orbital Sciences became known as ATK after merging with the aerospace arm of Alliant Techsystems Inc. in February.)

Separately, one life was lost last fall — just days after the Orbital Sciences incident — when a craft developed by Virgin Galactic intended for eventual civilian passengers explod-

PHOTO: REUTERS

ed during a flight over California.

Falcon 9 experienced a problem shortly before first stage shutdown. Will provide more info as soon as we review the data.

Sunday’s launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida was supposed to be the third attempt

by SpaceX to recover the rocket that launches its spacecraft.

Typically, the expensive rockets that give spaceships their initial lift are discarded into the ocean after takeoff. In an attempt to recover and reuse those rockets, SpaceX developed a floating platform for the ejected rocket to land on.

SpaceX has made two previous attempts to land the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket — once in January and again in April. Both attempts at landing failed.

The ability to recover launch rockets is expected to move space travel further toward a future in which people, satellites and other items can be inexpensively launched into orbit.

SpaceX plans to launch its first rocket with humans on board in 2017.

There was an overpressure event in the upper stage liquid oxygen tank. Data suggests counterintuitive cause.

Tunisia attack: Tributes for dead as British tourists fly home

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RIBUTES are being paid to victims of the Tunisia beach attack which left 38 dead, including at least 15 Britons.

No British victims have been officially identified but the names of some were confirmed by friends and family.

It comes as the relatives of others still missing since the gun attack near Sousse desperately await any news of their loved ones.

More than 1,000 British tourists have returned to the UK, while it is thought 2,500 more could fly home on Sunday.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered close to the scene a day after the attack for a rally against terrorism, with some

holding candles and others carrying flags of the UK and Tunisia.

Further details have been emerging about the tourists who lost their lives in the shooting carried out on Friday by gunman Seifeddine Rezgui, 23, who has links with Islamic State.

It was described as the most significant terrorist attack on British people since 52 were killed in the 7 July 2005 London bombings.

Three members of the same family were among those killed in the attack..

Among those so far confirmed dead by family or friends are: •Carly Lovett, 24, a beauty blogger and photographer

from Gainsborough in Lincolnshire who was first to be named •Sue Davey and her partner Scott Chalkley, both in their 40s, whose deaths were confirmed by their respective sons •Adrian Evans, 44, from Tipton, West Midlands, his father, 78-year-old Patrick Evans and nephew Joel Richards, 22, from Wednesbury. Bruce Wilkinson, 72, from Goole in Yorkshire •Lisa Burbidge, in her 60s, from Whickham, Gateshead •Irish national Lorna Carty, who was in her 50s and from Robinstown in County Meath People shouted “Peace” and “Sousse will never die” at

a protest against terrorism on Saturday Tourists gestured peace signs from inside a bus as demonstrators took part in the rally The candlelight rally was held to express solidarity with those affected by the attack One Belgian and one German have so far been identified among the dead, the health ministry said. There were also thought to be Tunisians and French killed in the attack.

At least 36 people were injured, some seriously.

The UK government has warned the death toll will rise in the Tunisia attack.

There have also been suggestions from authorities around the country that some

of the deceased will come from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Carly Lovett, Adrian Evans and Joel Richards, left to right Sue Davey and Scott Chalkley Lorna Carty Adrian Evans, from the West Midlands, was described as popular by his long-standing employer.

“Adrian was a lovely man.

I’ve already been inundated from members of the council and other officers offering condolences to the family, said Darren Cooper, leader of Sandwell Council, where Mr Evans worked.

“He was well liked. He worked with us for a very, very long time and it’s frankly only just sinking in.”

Syrian rebels launch offensive against Daraa

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YRIAN rebels launched an offensive Thursday to capture governmentheld neighbourhoods in the southern city of Daraa, setting

off fighting that killed dozens of people, including a man struck by a shell that slammed into a market in a nearby Jordanian border town.

•Candle vigil in Belgium...yesterday.

Daraa is the birthplace of the uprising against President Bashar Assad that erupted in 2011. The uprising began with mostly peaceful protests but

escalated into a full-blown civil war after a brutal government crackdown.

The new offensive started around dawn Thursday, aiming to "liberate the city of Daraa," said Maj. Issam el Rayyes, spokesman for the Southern Front, a coalition of several dozen moderate rebel groups that is leading the push.

The spokesman said rebels and government troops were clashing in several locations.

Syrian State TV said rebel shelling attacks on Daraa killed six people and wounded 13. It said electricity was cut in the city after a main station was hit north of Daraa.

A Jordanian security official said one man was killed and four people were wounded when a shell from Syria struck a market in the Jordanian border town of Ramtha.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not

authorized to discuss the issue with reporters.

The website of the Jordanian daily Al-Rai said a total of three shells hit Ramtha and that the sound of explosions on the Syrian side of the border could be heard throughout the day. It said the four wounded included two 12year-old boys.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 20 troops and progovernment gunmen as well as 18 rebels were killed on the first day of fighting.

Daraa governor Mohammed Khaled al-Hannous told Syrian state TV that the attack on the city began at 5:30 a.m.

(0230 GMT) with intense shelling.

"Our armed forces repelled them and inflicted large casualties among them" al-Hannous said. "The situation is under control and they did not advance even one meter."

Nuke talks to miss target; Iran foreign minister heads home

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SENIOR U.S. official acknowledged yesterday that Iran nuclear talks will go past their June 30 target date, as Iran’s foreign minister prepared to head home for consultations before returning to push for a breakthrough.

Iranian media said Mohammed Javad Zarif’s trip was planned in advance. Still, the fact that he was leaving the talks so close to the Tuesday deadline reflected his need to get instructions on how to proceed on issues where the sides remain apart - among them how much access Tehran should give to U.N. experts monitoring his country’s compliance to any deal.The United States insists on more intrusive monitoring than Iran is ready to give.

With these and other disputes still unresolved, the likelihood that the Tuesday target deadline for an Iran nuclear deal could slip was increasingly growing even before the U.S. confirmation.The dispute over access surfaced again Sunday, with Iranian Gen. Masoud Jazayeri saying that any inspection by foreigners of Iran’s military centers is prohibited.

He said the attempt by the U.S. and its allies to “obtain Iran’s military information for years ... by the pressure of sanctions” will not succeed.But German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who joined the talks Friday, said Iran’s “nuclear activities, no matter where they take place,” must be verifiable.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Zarif met in Vienna for their third encounter since Saturday.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius also is in Vienna, as is British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, while Russia and China are represented for now by deputy foreign ministers.For weeks, all seven nations at the negotiating table insisted that Tuesday remains the formal deadline for a deal.

But with time running out, a senior U.S. official acknowledged that was unrealistic.Both sides recognize that there is leeway to extend to July 9. As part of an agreement with the U.S. Congress, lawmakers then have 30 days to review the deal before suspending congressional sanctions.But postponement beyond that would double the congressional review period to 60 days, giving both Iranian and U.S. critics more time to work on undermining an agreement.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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FOREIGN NEWS

Why ISIS is winning, and how its foes can reverse that success

I

T’s been exactly a year since the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria began its rampage through northern Iraq, seizing Mosul and Tikrit in short order as Iraqi security forces fled south. The group has proved its resilience since, despite thousands of coalition airstrikes and multiple battlefronts across a huge area.

ISIS’ most recent successes have come hundreds of miles apart.

Its capture of Ramadi in Iraq and Palmyra in Syria can be explained by its tactics and structure, the weakness or exhaustion of opponents and the support or acquiescence among enough Sunnis in both countries. It may also have benefited, according to some analysts, from cynical power plays in Baghdad.

Even so, taking Ramadi and holding it are two different things. Evidence from previous battles suggests that ISIS doesn’t do defense as well as offense, and it is still vastly outnumbered

by Iraqi forces. But the longer ISIS fighters are entrenched anywhere, the more difficult they are to expel, and the Iraqi Security Forces clearly aren’t capable of the task alone.

In Syria, the seizure of Palmyra gives ISIS access to the main roads to Homs and Damascus and nearby gas fields. It also confirms a shift by ISIS to focus on territory held by the regime of Bashar al-Assad in western and central Syria after a series of defeats at the hands of Kurdish forces supported by coalition airpower in the north.

The term was coined in 2003

By Tim Lister

to describe the technological power of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. But it can equally be applied to the way ISIS behaves on the battlefield, striking the enemy with massive explosive force.

There is another psychological dimension to ISIS’ threat: Enemy soldiers know that they will be killed in cold blood if captured — probably in gruesome fashion. At Tikrit last June, around Hit earlier this year, in Palmyra in Syria last week, enemy soldiers and other adversaries have been dealt with mercilessly. Summary executions — en masse — are part of its mode of warfare. After seizing a Syrian military base near Raqqa last July, it beheaded dozens of Syrian soldiers, posting videos of the barbarity.

ISIS has perfected the art of “misleading” the enemy, with complex diversionary attacks and mixed signals about its intentions pulling enemies this way and that. As it prepared to attack Ramadi, it also began offensive operations around Baiji and north of Baghdad, deterring or delaying reinforcement of Ramadi by the ISF. Few analysts expect ISIS to launch an attack on Baghdad: It knows that its numbers and the capital’s vast Shia population would make it a mission impossible. But a devastating campaign of suicide bombings and attacks on the fringes of the city (around Abu Ghraib, for example) would further tie down Iraqi forces.

It has recently used those tactics in central Syria, beginning

with insurgent-style ambushes of government troops, probing weaknesses and killing captives.

Then, in mid-May, it launched a more conventional offensive to take territory.

ISIS is also more difficult to target because its units are very small and swift. Gurcan says it frequently deploys “eight to 10 men teams carrying out building-by-building, block-by-block clear and hold operations in urban terrain.”

ISIS appears to have calculated that exhaustion and desertion in the Syrian armed forces makes this the ideal time to focus on regime targets rather than a war of attrition with Kurds in the northeast and fratricidal battles against other jihadist groups such as Al Nusra. While there is no indication that the Syrian military is about to be overwhelmed, it is stretched. The regime has moved to crack down on draft-dodging and compensate families of soldiers killed in action. It is also more reliant than before on the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah and Iranian support.

In Iraq, units tasked with defending Ramadi had a vast numerical advantage over ISIS. But the evidence suggests the mix of forces — police, army and tribal militia — was poorly led, suffering from low morale and in some instances poorly equipped.

To some observers, the failure to provide weapons to Sunni militia was no accident. Simply put, they say, some Shia politicians were not concerned about Ramadi falling because it posed no threat to the Shia heartland. Nor did they want to

see Sunni tribes turned into effective fighting units. Winning back Ramadi would then depend on deploying Shia militia known as Popular Mobilization Units, something Prime Minister Abadi had tried to avoid.

That is exactly what is happening: the Shia militia is taking the leading role in encircling Ramadi as well as preparing to evict ISIS from the city of Baiji and its nearby refinery farther north.

But ISIS trades on the distrust among Iraqi Sunnis toward the government in Baghdad..

Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister, Saleh al-Mutlaq, who is himself a Sunni, told CNN on Monday: “What is after that? Are they going to live in an area which is going to rebuild again?

Is there going to be a reconciliation? Are they going to be included in the government?”

U.S. policymakers see the same dilemma. As one senior U.S. official put it this week: “The rapid integration of the Sunni tribes into the fight alongside other Iraqi forces is essential as they will be the most invested in fighting for their areas.”

ISIS’ control of oil and gas fields in Syria and Iraq has been degraded by airstrikes, but it continues to seize energy sources, most recently the Syrian gas fields of al-Hil and al-Ark, in addition to nearby phosphate mines. It has also developed a lucrative trade in antiquities through the black market.

ISIS is also able to leverage its hold on territory in Syria and Iraq because it can exploit different enemies with different goals, and move fighters and

supplies across international borders. In September, it lost the Rabia crossing between Syria and Iraq north of Mosul, but it has compensated by tightening its grip over Anbar and taking the last border post with Iraq still held by the Syrian government at al-Tanf.

Jessica McFale of the Institute for the Study of War writes that even if the Iraqis eventually evict ISIS from Mosul (surely a distant goal), “ISIS will constitute a permanent threat to Mosul if its dominion over the Jazeera desert in western Iraq persists. This outcome is guaranteed while ISIS controls eastern Syria.”

ISIS’ desire to attack, even when it’s defending gains, might yet be its Achilles’ heel. It has thrown fighters into futile situations, such as around Kobani in Syria last year and at Eski Mosul in January, even when the odds are heavily stacked against it. But on other occasions — notably in Tikrit — it has ultimately retreated to save manpower, using snipers, dozens of IEDs and barriers such as downed bridges, trenches and berms to slow the enemy’s advance.

When ISIS units advanced rapidly through Iraq a year ago, they seized thousands of square kilometers in Kurdish areas they were ultimately unable to hold.

Given the number of ISIS fighters and their vast geographical spread in Iraq and Syria, the group is vulnerable to overreach It could have its lines of communications cut and its holdings divided, especially since its ambitious move into central Syria amid the more complex mosaic of factions there.

Even if higher estimates of ISIS fighting strength are accepted — around 100,000 according to some Iraqi observers — it is a huge area to hold and govern.

If the real number is much lower, the job seems unsustainable. Without better intelligence on the ground, it’s difficult to estimate with confidence how many fighters ISIS has and their different motives for fighting, how many have been killed and how quickly they are being replaced.

U.S. officials say some 13,000 ISIS fighters have been killed by airstrikes since August out of a force of some 30,000. Other observers say it’s implausible the group could have lost nearly half of its strength and still be so effective across such a huge area.

ISIS now has a new challenge to factor in. Other jihadist groups in Syria, such as Jabhat al Nusra and Ansar al Islam, have essentially declared war on it in northern Aleppo. Ansar al Islam, in a statement issued this week, said that if there was no “decisive and real position to deter their aggression, then it is the beginning of the end.”

ISIS’ leadership is still determined to expand its caliphate in Iraq and Syria, seeing it as a step toward an even greater regional presence. It frequently talks of “remaining and expanding” in its publications. But it is fighting from the suburbs of Baghdad to the fringes of Damascus, on Syria’s borders with Turkey and Lebanon. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, ISIS now controls some 95,000 square kilometers in Syria.

Chad arrests 60 over Boko Haram suicide bombing

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FFICIALS in Chad have arrested 60 people including suspects from Cameroon, Nigeria and Mali in relation to an attack earlier this month in the capi-

tal that killed dozens of people and wounded more than 100 others.

Chad prosecutor Alghassim Khamis said Sunday that new details have been uncov-

ered concerning the June 15 attack that saw one suicide bomber blow himself up on foot outside a police station and two others near a police academy. The attack was the

• Jubilant gay parade after U.S Supreme Court ruling in New York...yesterday

first of its kind on N'Djamena, the Chadian capital, and came following threats from the Nigeria-based Islamic extremist group Boko Haram.

"The toll for this double

attack is 38 dead today, including the three suicide bombers, and 81 wounded and released and 20 wounded still admitted in the hospital," Khamis said. One person

is seriously wounded, he said.

The official toll on the day of the attack was 23 dead plus four attackers.

An active terrorist cell has been identified and dismantled, Khamis said, leading to the seizure of "communication materials" and the 60 arrests, which included Chadians in addition to the foreigners.

One of the suicide bombers has been identified, and officials are working on identifying the other two, he said.

Debris recovered from the scene permitted officials to determine that the attackers wore explosive vests made of special black fabric, he said.

"The information received shows that this attack was well planned," he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack but suspicion quickly fell on Boko Haram, the Islamic militant group based in neighbouring Nigeria that had already attacked Chadian villages along the lake dividing the two countries.

Chad has been a major military ally with Nigeria in the fight against the insurgent group, and Boko Haram's leader has publicly threatened the Chadian president with retaliation.

Three days after the attack, Chad said it had launched an aerial assault on Boko Haram positions

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

58

NEWS Why APC’s directive was rejected Continued from page 4

•From left: Retired Bishop of Ifo, Rt. Rev. Jospeh Akinyemi Odejide; Bishop of Ijesa North, Rt. Rev. Isaac Oluyamo; Prince Bambo Adesanya (SAN) Chancellor, Lagos west Anglican Communion, Justice Babasola Ogunade; Legal Secretary, Archbishop Vining Memorial Cathedral, Mrs. Pheola Caulcrick; Bishop of Lagos west Anglican Communion, Bishop James Olusola Odedeji ; Mrs. Lydia Odedeji and Retired Bishop of Ifo, Rt. Rev. Jospeh Akinyemi Odejide during the 2015 Trinity Ordination of Deacon and Priest of Lagos West Anglican Communion at Anglican Church of Ascension Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos.

PHOTO: OLUSEGUN RAPHEAL.

It’ll take time to clear Jonathan’s mess, says Presidency Continued from page 4

tors of the economy. ”This is more so as the delay has brought government business in ministries, departments and agencies to a dangerous standstill with coordination of important policies vested on ministers and the SGF now in tatters while the system drifts.

“This situation also creates loopholes through which overzealous persons around the President can connive with unscrupulous elements in the

bureaucracy to syphon public resources in addition to possibly misleading the President to violate due process by spending beyond and outside his statutory limits.

“The situation is taking its toll on the economy sector, which has in the 30 days witnessed unprecedented decline with a terrifying crippling of foreign and domestic investments, including activities in the money and capital market sectors. Under President Buhari, the stock market has lost

over N238 billion while the All-Share Index fell by 849.87 basis points as at June 19. ”In security, apart from the directive to relocate the counter terrorism command centre to Borno State and seeking assistance from foreigners, no other concrete step has been taken in the fight against insurgency which the President in his April 22, 2015 CNN interview promised to end within his two months in office.

“Instead, the anti-terrorism effort has completely lost

steam in the last 30 days, with insurgents, who had already been pushed to the verge of surrender in the Sambisa forest by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, now surging back and spreading into the country.

“We also urge for adequate respect for all organs of internal security, such as the Directorate of State Security (DSS), which is answerable to the Nigerian state and as such should not be publicly ridiculed by an aide of the President.”

Senate crisis: Oyegun’s fate shaky as APC caucus meets Continued from page 4

rebelled by aligning with PDP National Assembly members, Oyegun remained strangely mum and unmoved to the harm being done to his and the party’s authority. ‘He took the rebuff too lightly and quickly as if he almost welcomed it.’

“It was only after APC governors intervened and applied heavy pressure that he wrote a letter to the Senate President and House Speaker naming the party’s choices for majority leader and the other posts.

“Even then, the letter was half-hearted, oddly brief and strangely passive in tone. It was as if he wrote it under compulsion because he had been boxed into a corner by the governors and not by conviction. Once again, Saraki and Dogara rebuffed him and once again Oyegun took the insult as if he asked for it.”

Also, a member of NEC said: “What happened in the National Assembly was a pure case of failure of leadership by the National Chairman.

“Certainly, his lapse is one of the major issues we will discuss

at the National Caucus meeting in Abuja and later at our NEC session.

“We are all disappointed and feel betrayed by Oyegun because he refused to take action at the right time even when President Muhammadu Buhari said he would leave the party to resolve the logjam in the National Assembly.”

Analysing the APC and the National Assembly crisis in an article published on page 3 of this newspaper, former Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, warned of the danger ahead for the party if nothing urgent is done to remedy the crisis arising from the election of Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

He said: “Now that the whole conspiracy has blown open, it is doubtful if the present institutions of party leadership can muster the required capacity to arrest the drift.

“It is my opinion that President Buhari, and the APC governors should now see APC as a recking platform that may not be strong enough again to carry them to political victory in

2019 and they should quickly begin a joint damage control effort to reconstruct the party in its claim to bring about the promised change before the party’s shortcomings begin to aggravate the challenges of governance in their hands.”

The former Osun State Governor added: “Before the party knew it, the process had been hijacked by polluted interests who saw the inordinate contests as a loop-hole for stifling APC governments’ efforts in its desire to fight corruption.

“Most Northern elites, the Nigerian oil subsidy barons and other business cartels who never liked Buhari’s anti-corruption political stance are quickly backing-up the rebellion against APC with strong support.

“While other position seekers are waiting in the wings until Buhari’s ministers are announced, a large section of the South-West see the rebellion as a conspiracy of the North against the Yoruba.”

Odigie-Oyegun himself has said that he cannot be stampeded out of office, saying efforts will be made to resolve all is-

sues.

The party’s state chairmen also last week after a meeting in Abuja, expressed support for the party chairman.

In a communique signed by Chairman of the Kano chapter Alhaji Umar Haruna Mohammed, the party chiefs expressed concern over the crises rocking the party over the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly.

“As state party chairmen and direct grassroots leaders, we are all concerned about the development and therefore re-affirm our belief and loyalty to our party, the APC, its supremacy as contained in the party’s constitution and the decision of its leadership.

“We are also not happy with recent development in the National Assembly, especially the lower chamber, and call on the party leadership to put in place proper machineries to checkmate further occurrences.

“We also call on the party leaders to use the long break with the view of resolving the matter so that the much needed change will be seen and enjoyed by everybody.”

Five killed in Borno hospital suicide blast

N

O fewer than five people were killed at the weekend after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a leprosy hospital on the outskirts of Maiduguri, according to emergency services.

Ten others were injured in the attack.

The bomber, who tried to gain access to the hospital, detonated his explosives outside the building around 5:30 pm on Saturday.

“Five people were killed and 10 others injured near the Molai leprosy hospital when a male bomber blew himself up,” said Mohammed Kanar, regional coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agen-

cy.

“The bomber had wanted to get entry into the hospital but was contemplating how to pass through security checks at the gate when the bomb went off.”

He added: “We took the bodies and the injured to the specialist hospital (in Maiduguri).”

Local resident Ibrahim Bulama said the bomber was one of three men who were dropped off near the hospital by a SUV vehicle.

“They looked around for a while, obviously trying to sneak into the hospital,” Bulama said, adding that the facility was being guarded by civilian vigilantes who are assisting the military in the fight against Boko

Haram Islamist insurgents.

“Suddenly, the explosives on one of them went off. The other two fled in the confusion. Five people were killed and 10 others injured.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, but Nigeria’s Borno state, where the attack took place, has been the hardest hit by the Boko Haram insurgency which has left at least 15 000 people dead.

Boko Haram, which has been fighting to establish a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria since 2009, has intensified its campaign of violence in the last month.

Danlami Ajaokuta, a civilian

vigilante fighting Boko Haram, confirmed the hospital explosion and added that there had been a failed suicide attack by two women in Jakarna village, about 40 kilometres from Maiduguri on Saturday afternoon.

“Two female suicide bombers died when the explosives on one of them went off prematurely while they were waiting for a bus along the highway in Jakarna,” Ajaokuta said.

“Residents from the village heard a huge explosion and when they arrived at the scene they found one of the bombers in parts while the other lay dead face down.

“Her explosives were still intact.”

“We said the best thing is, in order to avoid this, let’s circulate the positions to the zones in the House.

“There has never been a time in the House when a zone got more than two leadership positions and we all know the provision of the constitution which did say that all positions must be guided by the standing orders.

“But in a situation where the standing order is not explicit or is not provide for, then we provide that the use of precedent, customs, the tradition.

“So, that therefore means even though the law does not say distribute the position to six zones, but the tradition has been that it should go to the six zones in line with the constitutional provision relating to the federal character. So this is the bone of contention.

“But, as leaders, we are bound by the constitution and when we got that directive from the party, we said that we must defend the constitution, we must enforce our rules and whether we have it would

have harmful effect on the constitution of Nigeria for us to adopt the position of the party.

“This is because certainly, we have to be aware of the gravity of the constitution.

“That is where we are and that is what we are discussing.

“It was an ongoing discussion relating to this that certain sections of our members felt ‘well whatever it is let the House know, that the party is supreme’ and so that was what led to the near fracas which we witnessed on the floor of the House.”

Dogara apologised, saying amends would made in order to have a peaceful House capable of discharging its responsibilities to Nigerians.

He said: “We would make the platform through which we can ventilate the wishes and aspirations of our people.

“I have accepted responsibility for everything that transpired and we apologise to the nation.”

The group, led by Dauda Bundot and Jonathan Asake said its visit was in solidarity with Dogara.

Why Buhari won’t appoint ministers ‘in the next two months’ Continued from page 4

parastatals.

“He wants to cut down the cost of running government.

He wants to make sure that all the loopholes that enable corruption to thrive are blocked.

All these are procedures that require time and careful planning. You cannot do it in a rush.

“Remember that he has to make sure that all this is done without any job losses or mass retrenchments. All this is not a day’s or one-month job.”

He added that President Buhari could not realistically have begun this process without first receiving the full report of the transition commit-

tee and ascertaining exactly the situation his government faced.

The spokesmen of the President, Mr. Femi Adesina (Special Adviser on Media and Publicity) and Mallam Garba Shehu (the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity) said this narrative as the “nearest to the truth than all that are being peddled by many others.”

The President has been criticised in the past few weeks for allegedly being slow in constituting his cabinet.

Some critics accused Buhari of not planning enough to hit the ground running since his election on March 28.

Knocks for CBN forex policy Continued from page 4

ple definitions and discretionary interpretations by agencies and institutions responsible for implementation.

“This discretionary interpretation would create room for corruption.”

Yusuf said the alternative forex markets or the parallel market and the Bureaux de Change (BDCs) are not deep enough to meet the demand of the essential intermediate products on the exclusion list.

Bello said the exclusion of the items from the forex market is as good as import prohibition.

He alleged that the policy measure would lead to the widening of exchange differentials between the interbank markets and the parallel markets. The immediate consequence, he argued would be rampant round tripping of foreign exchange, which the CBN has limited capacity to curb.

The LCCI boss said the

CBN approach to forex allocation “appears administrative in nature, a system prone to abuse and considerable corruption. It could only be likened to the import licensing era of the early eighties,” he said.

He added that the policy has far reaching implications for investors in fabrication, construction and real estate sectors.

On the way forward, Bello suggested putting the policy on hold pending a proper study of the demand and supply gaps in the various sectors affected by this policy.

He urged the CBN to focus more on the market fundamentals and as much as possible allow market mechanism to drive the allocation of foreign exchange. The closer the rate is to equilibrium, the better for the economy and less disruptive for investors, he said.

Buhari: we’ll end terror attacks Continued from page 4

blackmail, and that security forces would confront the Boko Haram bandits to the last man.

Describing terrorists as “cowards who lack any moral inhibition and any iota of humanity to reason compassionately”, he said that they would not find Nigeria a safe haven, because “they would be “hunted down without mercy and compromise.”

Reiterating that security would be tackled by his administration with vigorous determination, he advised Nigerian to show more vigilance and be alert to the presence of suspicious people around them.

“The terrorists are enemies of religion and humanity. No true believers in any God would target worshipers, holy places, or people who are fasting and other innocent Nigerians.” He stated

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

59

NEWS

Rivers APC to Buhari: probe Wike’s tenure at Education Ministry

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R E S I D E N T Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to probe the tenure of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike at the Federal Ministry of Education.

The state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Chief Davies Ikanya, said this yesterday in a statement in Port Harcourt through his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Public Affairs, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze. The party supported Buhari’s move to investigate and recover billions of naira allegedly looted by the past administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Wike served in Jonathan’s government as Supervising Minister of Education and Minister of State for Education before resigning to vie as governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Rivers APC said: “We receive with great joy, the news of the decision of President Buhari to go after the persons who stole Nigeria blind and virtually grounded the country’s economy.

“For six years, we shouted ourselves hoarse that Jonathan’s administration was

From Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt

the most corrupt in the history of this nation and sadly nobody believed us, but the recent revelations have proved us right.

If not by the grace of God and the resolve of Nigerians to vote out the visionless government, the ship of our nation would have been grounded by now.

“The impending recovery of stolen funds and stoppage of systemic leakages are the beginning of the journey towards building the ideal Nigerian nation.”

The party said the President should look into the purchase of books for Federal Government institutions, the Almajiri School Scheme, the Universal Basic Education (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) as well as the “commandeer” of 15 UBEC Toyota Hilux vans for governorship election campaign.

The APC also want Buhari to probe the recent fire that razed only the Basic Education Section of the Federal Ministry of Education building in Abuja.

“Although Wike has been unjustly declared Rivers governor by the Independent National Electoral Commission

•Wike

(INEC), his immunity does not prevent him from being investigated. In any case, he will soon lose the immunity, when he is removed from office by the Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja.

“We passionately appeal to President Buhari to take the necessary action to bring Wike to book, to serve as a deterrent to others. We commend the governments of United States and Britain for supporting the APC’s government in its efforts to recover Nigeria’s looted funds, stashed in foreign banks by agents of wickedness,” the party said.

The Rivers APC pleaded with Nigerians to see reason and support the administration of President Buhari in its efforts to clean the rot of the Jonathan’s administration and put Nigeria on a sound footing.

It noted that the next three months might be hard, as predicted by President Buhari, but assured Nigerians that they were necessary steps for the good of the country.

Patience Jonathan’s ex-security aide POLICE officer, killed in Abuja Tamuno Jacob

A

Igbomie, who was Principal Security Officer (PSO) to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, was shot dead by unknown assailants last Friday on Airport Road, Abuja.

The body of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was discovered in his Honda Accord car, after gunmen said to be “assassins shot him at a close range in his car”.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, confirmed the killing. He added that investigation has started to arrest the assailants.

“Yes, a DSP attached to the villa was killed last week Friday. Investigation has started to find out the people behind the murder. No arrest has been made yet,” Ojukwu said yesterday.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Anjuguri Manzah, said the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, had ordered an investigation into the tragic incident.

A police source said his body “was found early in the morning. But surprisingly, all his phones, wallet and other personal belongings were intact in the car, which engine was left running”.

It was learnt that the late Igbomie, who hailed from Okrika, Bayelsa State, served at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command before being deployed to the Presidential Villa as Patience’s AideDe-Camp (ADC) when Jonathan was the vice president.

“He was later appointed as

the PSO to Patience when her husband became the President,” the source said.

Another source added: “Tamuno must have been killed by hired assassins because they did not steal anything from his car. We met his phones and wallet with him when his body was found in the car with the engine running.

“He was shot in the night and his body was found early in the morning. We don’t know if he was killed over a business transaction or disagreement with someone.”

It was gathered that the late police officer was just redeployed to the FCT Police Command.

The late Igbomie was married and had two children.

‘Construction industry not regulated’

T

HE construction industry needs better regulation to prevent building collapse, an expert, Mr. Shola Sunny, has said.

People who have no knowledge of civil engineering, he said, claimed to be building contractors and handle projects that could be structurally defective.

Sunny, a partner at SOP and Co Consultants, a construction company, spoke when the firm was given the ISSO certification.

He said: “People go into construction because of the money they want to make; they forget what they need to do. A lot of people who are not qualified are doing construction in the country; the industry is not properly regulated, anybody can decide to be a building contractor.

“Clients are also not helping matters because they want to achieve much with so little. They try to find ways to cut corners, but building is not something that you cut corners, particularly in the structure because the structure is what carries the building and if not properly done, it would cause disaster in future.

“You may not enjoy the building for the life span which if properly done should be between 30-50 years. In the United Kingdom and other coun-

By Olatunde Odebiyi

tries, we have building standing up to 100 years because they were well built,” he said.

Sunny said the certification would spur the organisation to higher goals.

“The certification puts more demand on you.

You have to continue what you have been doing, do more and ensure that you continue to excel and get better for the company and for every individual that is involved.”

He assured that his organisation would keep the standard since it entered the business voluntarily.

“There is nothing good that comes easy. You need a lot of effort, dedication and commitment to continue to strive to be better and I believe that we would be able to do it.

“ISSO certification makes sure that you keep the quality of your service and do things consistently and with that, you are sure of getting consistent good result. ISSO helps you to ensure that you keep the quality going and to ensure that you keep improving because the certificate can be withdrawn, if the quality drops,” he said.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

60

BUSINESS EXTRA

Bank of Canada calls for more financial integration with U.S.

T

HE Bank of Canada, frustrated by unilateral United States moves which regulate Canadian banks with U.S. subsidiaries, has called for the possible adoption of a bilateral agreement to clarify responsibilities in winding up failed banks.

Deputy Governor Lawrence Schembri took aim at the U.S. financial reforms under the DoddFrank Act of 2010, which required U.S. subsidiaries of big international banks to meet separate capital and liquidity requirements inside the United States, in order to deal with possible bank failures.

“If a Canadian bank with U.S. subsidiaries were to fail, it bears asking whether the preemptive actions of U.S. authorities would create obstacles for the orderly resolution of the consolidated bank by Canadian authorities,” Schembri said.

Dodd-Frank might constrain the Canadian bank‘s ability to allocate capital and liquidity in the North American market, he said.

“Canada and the United States should consider the option of a bilateral agreement on the resolution of banks with cross-border operations in order to clarify responsibilities and enhance cooperation,” he said in the prepared text of remarks to a business audience.

Schembri, one of two members of the central bank’s governing council responsible for financial reform, said that notwithstanding his call for a possible bilateral deal, the Group of 20 leading economies should continue to press for a multilateral agreement, but this could take several years.

He also said a Dodd-Frank provision on the reporting of data on derivatives effectively precluded data that was reported by Canadian

banks to U.S. authorities from being used by Canadian financial authorities to assess systemic risk in the over-the-counter derivatives market.

“To summarise, national authorities should strive to build trust and achieve more cross-border recognition of comparable regulatory requirements,” Schembri said.

Trucks delivering containers wait to enter the Port of Newark in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., on June 18, this year. The U.S. trucking industry won a bid for legislation that would allow longer tandem trucks.

Ottawa plans compensation for farmers to blunt impact of trade deal The Federal Government is preparing a financial compensation package for Canadian dairy and poultry farmers as a way to blunt the impact of signing onto a mas-

sive Pacific Rim trade deal which could allow a surge of agricultural imports from other countries, sources said.

Details are still being worked out – and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement has yet to be concluded – but the model used when Canada recently clinched a trade deal with the European Union was to offer cash to cushion the blow for everything from higher drug costs borne by provinces to the impact on dairy producers and Newfoundland’s fishing industry. In these cases, Ottawa insisted the losses be proven.

Pope Francis has issued an environmental manifesto aimed at spurring action on climate change.

During question period Thursday, Liberal MP John McKay asked whether the Harper government would pay attention to the Pope’s

decree.

Canada’s heavily protected dairy and poultry sectors are in the crosshairs of the United States and other farm-export powers as momentum builds toward a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

Negotiations are expected to resume shortly with talk of a deal as early as August after the U.S. Senate voted this week to give President Barack Obama unfettered power to negotiate new trade deals.

The price of entry for Canada – one of 12 countries in the TPP talks – is expected to include allowing more duty-free dairy and poultry imports from countries such as the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

The return to the bargaining table is ill-timed for the Conservative government, which is seeking reelection this October.

European operators evacuate tourists from Tunisia

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OUR companies were evacu ating thousands of foreign holidaymakers from Tunisia on Saturday, a day after a gunman killed 39 people as they lounged at the beach in an attack claimed by Islamic State.

Tunisia’s Prime Minister Habib Essid said most of the dead were British, and its health ministry said eight Britons, a German, a Belgian and an Irish citizen were among the casualties of the attack at a hotel in the resort town of Sousse.

It was the second big attack in the North African country this year, following an assault on the Bardo Museum in Tunis in March when gunmen killed a group of foreign visitors as they arrived by bus.

Tunisia’s tourism minister called Friday’s attack, in one of the country’s most popular resorts for Europeans, a “catastrophe” for the vital industry and authorities vowed to toughen security, drafting in army reserves and arming tourism police at beaches and hotels.

“More than 3,000 foreign tourists have left Sousse today,” said Saloua Kadri, tourism commissioner for the town.

“Around 2, 200 British have left, and close to 600 Belgians too.”

Tunisian authorities named the gunman, who was shot dead by police, as Saif Rezgui, a student who they say was not known to authorities. He opened fire on Friday at the Imperial Marhaba hotel in Sousse, 140 km (90 miles) south of the capital Tunis.

Tour operators Thomson and First Choice, which are owned by Ger-

man travel group TUI, said they had about 6,400 customers across Tunisia at the time of the attack, including several of the people killed and injured.

I didn’t feel right staying and sitting by a pool knowing that two minutes’ walk away that many people had died They sent 10 planes to evacuate tourists and said 1,000 had already been repatriated. They also said they would cancel all their holiday packages to Tunisia for at least the next week.

TUI’s German tour operator TUI also organised flights for tourists wishing to return home and TUI’s Belgian airline, Jetairfly, sent six empty planes to bring tourists back from the towns of Djerba and Enfidha.

Nicola Harris was one of the tourists returning to Britain from Sousse. “I didn’t feel right staying and sitting by a pool knowing that two minutes’ walk away that many people had died, it just felt wrong,” Harris told Sky News.

“I shouldn’t be there enjoying my sunbathing when so many people have had such a horrific thing happen to them today.”

Tunisian authorities said the gunman was not on any watch list of known potential militants. But one source said he appeared to have been radicalized over the last six months

by Islamist militant recruiters.

Disguised as a tourist in shorts, he opened fire on tourists as they lounged on the beach at the hotel, with a rifle he had hidden in an umbrella.

Trucking industry wins bid for trucks VER the objections of safety advocates, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a trucking industry bid to allow longer tandem trucks on the nation’s highways.

The change, sought by the American Trucking Associations and large haulers such as FedEx Corp., would increase the permitted length of trailers hauled in tandem from 28 feet to 33 feet.

The 16-14 vote attached the legislation to a $56 billion spending measure to finance transportation and housing programmes. But the bill faces a White House veto threat and a probable filibuster if GOP leaders try to bring it to the Senate floor.

The industry-backed amendment was written by Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. The committee chairman, Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., opposed the move but Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., cast a key vote to allow it

O

to go forward.

The provision would mandate that states permit the 33-foot trailers but a large majority have chosen not to do so.

Pushing the measure were large trucking operations that stand to profit from lower costs. In opposition were unions such as the Teamsters, many states and local governments, and safety advocates.

Many smaller trucking companies were against it as well.

Opponents say the longer trucks create more wear and tear on highways, are less safe on local roads than existing trucks, and are more likely to cross into adjacent and opposing lanes when making turns.

“Why would we do this when we know that people are going to lose their lives?” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. “There’s no way you can argue this and say that highways are going to be safer.”

• From left: Chairman, Board of Fellows, Institute of Chartered Administrators and Researchers of Nigeria (IARN), Dr Dom Opara; Director-General, Prof Jacob Etinagbedia; and Chairman, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, Akwa State, Chief Mike Adiotomre, at the induction of fellows of the institute at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka.

‘How imports affect trade balance’ ARIFFS of as much as 300 per cent shield Canadian dairy and poultry farmers from foreign imports and a rise in imports could easily destabilise Canada’s carefully calibrated supply-management system, which tightly regulates the price and production of milk, chicken and eggs – industries worth $10 billion a year.

Washington signalled its impatience with Canada’s pace of negotiation in the Trans-Pacific talks.

The top U.S. trade negotiator called out Canada for not yet tabling what trade concessions it will make in the negotiations, the publication Inside U.S. Trade reported. It cited Michael Froman as saying the United States has “work

T

to do” with Canada. He spoke of “market access negotiations with Canada on issues like dairy and poultry where we’re still waiting for them to come to the table with a meaningful offer so we can achieve the necessary level of ambition in that area as well.”

A spokesman for the Dairy Farmers of Canada said the country’s cheese sector is already set to take a hit in the free-trade deal with the European Union. He said the TPP could lead to a further erosion of the protections enjoyed by the country’s farmers.

Yves Leduc, the group’s director of international trade, said the coming round of talks “is worrying for dairy farmers across the country,” adding he is still hoping for “carve-outs” in the final deal

to protect sensitive sectors of Canada’s economy.

The NDP accused Mr. Harper of delivering a confusing message on the TPP negotiations, saying a number of important issues are being discussed in secret.

“It appears that he is leaving the door open to weakening our agricultural sectors and is prepared to sacrifice them to some degree in the TPP without saying so,” said NDP MP Don Davies. “We’ll keep a close eye on these talks and urge the government to hold firm on protecting Canada’s sensitive agricultural industries.”

The Liberal Party agreed that Canada must be part of the TPP but said the federal government should still preserve supply management.

Chinese stocks plunge as selloff deepens

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ANG Yan is regretting that day two months ago when she gave into temptation and piled into the Chinese equity market.

“Back then, I thought I must be stupid not investing in stocks as making money out of it was so easy,” said Ms. Wang, 26, who works for a publisher in Hangzhou, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province. “Now I think I’m even more stupid as the money I lost almost equals my one-year salary.”

Hollywood is wooing Chinese audiences and investments as the appetite for blockbusters outpaces its home market, but some fear Beijing’s increasing influ-

ence on the industry. Jane Lanhee Lee reports.

China’s central bank cut the reserve requirement ratio by one percentage point, as investors are encouraged by the country’s booming stock market despite a regulatory clamp down. Meg Teckman reports.

As Chinese shares turn from the world’s best performers into the biggest losers, concern is spreading among individual investors who account for more than 80 per cent of trading on mainland exchanges. The market’s reversal – punctuated by a 7.4 per cent tumble in the Shanghai composite index on Friday – is dominating conversations across the coun-

try as the world’s biggest population tries to gauge whether the worst is over.

“People at work talk about their stock investment all day, debating whether the market has exited a bull run and entered bear market,” said Liu Chang, 28, who works in the tobacco industry in Wuxi, near Shanghai. “People who are not mentally strong enough have exited the market.”

Amateur investors have been one of the biggest drivers of China’s rally over the past year, opening new stock accounts at a record pace and using an unprecedented amount of borrowed money to amplify their bets on the $8.8trillion (U.S.) market.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

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NEWS Buhari to inaugurate NEC today

Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, AwolowoCentre for Philosophy, Ideology and Good Governance, Osogbo, Prof. Moses Akinola Makinde in this piece, tackles Justice Oloyede Folahanmi on her call for the impeachment of Governor Rauf Aregbesola

From Augustine Ehikioya, Abuja

Judge’s call for Aregbesola’s sack: sacrilegious diatribe

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n the issues of the Vanguard, June 24, p.11, and New Telegraph of the same day, p42, the papers carried the news, with a screaming headlines, “Unpaid Salaries: Serving Osun State Judge calls for Aregbesola’s Impeachment” and “Unpaid Salaries: Judge calls for Aregbesola’s Impeachment” respectively in both newspapers.

According to the reports, an Osun sitting High Court Justice, Oloyede Olamide Folahanmi had called on the members of the Osun State House of Assembly to commence impeachment process on Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his Deputy, Mrs. Tomori Laoye. The core of her complaints is that “the duo have displayed grave incompetence and lack of capacity to discharge the functions of their office” by their inability to pay the arrears of workers’ salaries and pensions, for what she describes as “delebrate mismanagement of the economy of the state” (Vanguard p.11).

In a 36-page petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Amnesty International, Transparency International, the petition reads, among others, that “Mr. Governor’s policies are geared and are being pursued, solely for the purpose enriching himself, his godfathers, immediate families and his coronies, whilst impoverishing the generality of the people of Osun who look up to him for their welfare” (New Telegraph p.42).

To show how seriously her attack was for non payment of arrears of salaries and pensions in the State of Osun, she tried to debunk Governor Aregbesola’s argument that salaries can only be paid from statutory allocations, and asked him to substantiate this claim from the section of the law that says so (New Telegragh p.42).

She stated that the governor have received, on behalf of the state and local governments, revenues well in excess of ¦ 538bn within the period under review (the period was not stated). She then rebuked Mr. Governor and his Deputy “for non payment of salaries and pensions ranging from 8 to 11 months as a consequence of their own decision to accumulate debts beyond the capacity of the state’s internally generated revenue while the duo continue to enjoy their security allowances in hundreds of millions of Naira (Vanguard p.11). She even called their action “illegal”.

Consequently she calls on the Osun State of Assembly to remove the gov-

ernor and his deputy “for displaying an unimaginably alarming level of incompetence in governance and for exhibiting the inability/ incapacity/ ineptitude in the discharge of the functions of their offices, and for insensitivity to the plight of the people they have undertaken to serve…” (New Telegraph p.42).

In the first place, I think Folahanmi’s attack is no news that is worth courting. We have heard much of it from the opposition party. What makes it news this time is that such an attack is coming from an usual quarter –a Justice of the High Court of the State of Osun, directed at the Executive Governor and his Deputy under whom she serves, over unpaid salaries and allowances that affect about two thirds of the states of the federation, Osun State included.

Looking through her attack of the Osun State’s Governor and his Deputy in a fell swoop, one can easily read between the lines. It smacks of a sponsored attack by an opposition that has gone gaga since its defeat both at the November 2014 election and its systematic losses at election tribunals, culminating at its painful loss at the Supreme Court.

Before the advent of shortfall in federal allocation since the early months of 2013, Osun State and indeed other states of the federation were paying their workers’ salaries and pensions with little or no financial constraints.

As the PDP led federal government was preparing for the 2015 elections, it began to stockpile Naira and dollars to prosecute the 2015 elections, both at the state and federal levels. I had written about this matter in my article, “APC Beware” (Nation, March 20, 2014, p21). The case of diverted $20bn not remitted to the federation account and the ¦ 30trn reported to have been stolen, as reported by Prof. Soludo, and many other undisclosed amounts stolen by the federal government and wasted on the 2015 elections, are no longer news. Reduction of statutory allocations leading to shortfall of 40% turned state governors into debtors.

Most of them could no longer pay their workers’ salaries and pensions till today. Even the federal government was reported to have failed to pay its workers salaries for December, 2014. Not only that, the federal government could not pay the arrears of 53% increase in pensioners’ salaries from 2009 till date, leading to the death of many retirees (see my articles “FG and Pension arrears”, Nation November 18, 2014, p21, “Okonjo-Iweala and Pen-

sioners” (Nation June 29, 2014, p18 and “Nigeria’s Sins: Time for atonement, deliverance, restitution and change” (Nation, January 18, 2015, p.66) .

On the strength of the above, we ask Folahanmi the following pertinent questions: is her attack not against the 2/3 of the governors who, like Osun, are in a similar situation of non-payment of arrears of salaries and pensions, due to no fault of theirs, for between 4 and 10 months? Has Aregbesola not explained his predicament to the good people of Osun State?

In her complaint about the non utilization of internally generated revenues purportedly to beef up the statutory allocations to pay workers’ salaries, one may ask: is the Justice not aware that even some of the richest states with better allocations and IGRs are also owing workers’ salaries for months? If Lagos and Rivers states, among the other 24 states, are owing arrears of salaries, how do you expect Osun State whose statutory allocation and IGR are far below these and other states of the federation to perform the feat these states could not perform? Is Mrs. Justice even aware that the problem he is harping upon is a general problem all over the federation, to the extent that all the states had to meet, as a matter of national urgency, with Mr. President on Tuesday, 23 June, to seek a presidential intervention, not only for Osun, but other states of the federation who were crying under the yoke of non-payment of arrears of salaries and pensions for their workers, while even the federal government is not an exemption? Finally, is she aware that President Buhari has constituted a committee headed by the vice president to meet over the excess crude account to see what could be shared among the states for the purpose of paying arrears of salaries and pensions owed to workers by the states of the federation?

Now, if after answering these questions Justice Folahanmi still thinks she has a case against the governor and deputy governor of Osun State, then, we say such a case is a personal one and not really a public one against the duo. If we are to accept her calling for the impeachment of Osun State governor and his deputy over the nonpayment of arrears of salaries and pensions, and also her charges of “incompetence”, “ineptitude” and “insensibility to the plight of people they have undertaken to serve”, then, by analogy, 24 governors and their deputies would have to be impeached for similar reasons. Not only this, the federal

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•Prof. Makinde

government of Goodluck Jonathan has to be impeached retroactively, since the present federal government is not affected. If 24 governors are impeached, what would be left of Nigeria as a nation?

Now that the matter of impeachment process has been referred to the Osun State House of Assembly and which will be a precedent that would affect other governors and their deputies who are owing their workers’ salaries, we expect that the members of the House would examine her attack in the light of the pertinent questions raised above and of the facts on ground in the federation and not Osun in isolation. Although Justice Folahanmi is free to express her views as she did, our fear is that, as a serving Justice of the High Court in the state in which Ogbeni Aregbesola is the executive governor, she should be seen as a neutral and not the one to unnecessarily involve herself in politics of the state, even if she is a victim of non-payment of salaries. It is very unlikely that the governor of Osun State would want her to adjudicate in any matter between it and anybody, organization or political party. It is also inappropriate for her to go to the extent of venting her anger and vicious attack on the pages of newspapers. I think Mr. President and other state governors involved in this general problem would have a good laugh at Justice Folahanmi’s charge against one of them over the non-payment of arrears of salaries and pensions that is not in any way restricted to the State of Osun.

We can at least advise the governor and his deputy not to allow the Justice’s unusual attack to distract them from their duty of working with other states and President Buhari in finding a lasting solution to the vexed issue of non-payment of arrears of salaries and pensions for about 2/3 of the governors of the federation. At best, Justice Folahanmi’s sacrilegious diatribe appears to me a veritable political howler.

Lawyer faults Osun Judge’s call for Aregbesola’s impeachment From Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado Ekiti

•Aregbesola

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N Akure lawyer, Morakinyo Ogele, has criticised a judge in the Osun State Judiciary, Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, who called for the impeachment of Governor Rauf Aregbesola for his inability to pay workers' salaries.

Ogele urged the Osun State House of Assembly to ignore the petition

forwarded to it by Oloyede on the grounds that the non-payment of salaries was beyond Aregbesola.

He argued that Aregbesola's failure to pay workers' salaries did not amount to gross misconduct covered

by Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution.

He described Oloyede's action as an infringement of the principles of separation of powers prescribed by the constitution.

Ogele, who is also the National Coordinator of Ekiti Redemption Group (ERG), maintained that it was not proper for a judge to petition the House of Assembly to begin impeach-

ment proceedings against the governor, who he said had not committed any impeachable offence.

He said: "To owe is not a misconduct, in fact, Section 188 cannot be extended to the governor's inability to pay workers.

"There is no evidence to prove that Aregbesola embezzled, misappropriated or diverted public funds. He has not been accused of committing fraud, abuse of office, corrupt enrichment, operation of foreign account, failure to declare his assets or any other crime for that matter.

"Almost all the states of the federation owe. Many countries in the world are owing. There is debt crisis presently in Greece, Nigeria too is owing.

"Everybody knows that allocations

going to the state have dropped seriously and Aregbesola was one of the first governors who raised the alarm on the then impending danger.

"He has been in office for almost five years and he did not owe the workers in the first four years of his administration. The nation's economy is sick and all of us are feeling it.

"But it is wrong for people to capitalize on the present economic crisis to single out Aregbesola for attacks for a problem that is apparently beyond him.

"Ondo State government is owing workers three months, Ekiti State government is owing two months and many state governments are also owing. The Federal Government is also owing."

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will today inaugurate the National Economic Council (NEC). The Council is headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

The inauguration will hold at the Presidential Villa by 11am.

Members of NEC, which meets every month, are governors, Ministers of National Planning, Finance, and Justice.

Others are Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The Council advises the President on economic matters.

APC: Okowa part of Delta financial crisis From: Bolaji Ogundele, Warri

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ELTA State All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was part of the system that put the state in its current financial dire straits.

The party said the governor had been in the system in the last 16 years, which caused the current financial crisis in the state.

In a statement in Asaba, the state capital, by its Media Adviser, Dr Martins Mukoro, APC warned the people not to be carried away by the governor’s recent alarm over the huge indebtedness weighing down the state.

The party describing Okowa’s alarm as merely “playing to the gallery”.

It described as embarrassing and insulting to the sensibility of Deltans, Okowa’s attempt to “shed crocodile tears” over the state’s huge debt profile of over N600 billion which his predecessor left behind.

According to the party, Okowa was merely crying wolf to divert attention and set the stage to borrow more money, thereby plunging the state into a deeper financial disaster.

APC recalled earlier warning Deltans, during the campaigns, that Okowa represents no chnage but more of the “same” of PDP’s 16 years of misrule.

It said: “From Okowa’s days as Commissioner, multiple times under former Governor James Ibori, to his days as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) under former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, which accumulated the debts, he has no moral excuse to attempt to distance himself - as if he was an onlooker or a bystander while the state was being wrecked!

“Okowa was not an onlooker but a key participant and a major co-conspirator in wrecking the finances and economy of Delta State. He is in no position to rescue Delta from the mess created by him and the past PDP administrations.

“If indeed Governor Okowa insists he has been an onlooker and truly expects Deltans to believe he was not party to the financial rot, let him immediately and urgently institute a panel to probe the huge debt overhang, to unearth how it was accumulated and who were the beneficiaries of the massive plundering of our commonwealth! Until then, Governor Okowa can’t pull wool over our eyes.”

The party urged Deltans to brace up for the delayed change in the state.

It advised the residents to seize the opportunity the rerun, which may soon be ordered by the Election Petitions Tribunal, to support APC to bring the desired change for economic relief and freedom from a political dynasty of corruption in the state.

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THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

SPORT EXTRA GUANGZHOU R&F 2-0 HANGZHOU GREENTOWN

Alashe takes San Jose Earthquakes by storm

Aaron Samuel happy to score N

G

UANGZHOU R&F striker Aaron Samuel continued his form, scoring in the second half of his club’s 2 - 0 win over Hangzhou Greentown on Sunday in the 16th round of matches in the Chinese Super League.

The Nigeria international was delighted that he kept his composure to score from the penalty spot in the 64th minute after his strike partner Hamdallah failed to convert against Henan Jianye four days ago.

“The coach asked me to take the penalty, we have two dedicated players given penalty responsibilities but I was told to take this one, ”said Aaron Samuel to allnigeriasoccer.com.

“I was not nervous before

the kick was taken because I was the best player on the pitch before then.

“We had chances to score in the first half but the goals refused to come. We dominated the game, I had a chance that hit the crossbar.”

Next up for Guangzhou R&F is an intriguing clash against Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, who recently bolstered their ranks with the signing of African stars Mohamed Sissoko and Demba Ba. “We have to prepare well against Shanghai Greenland, and we hope to get the three points. It won’t be easy because they are a good team.” the Guangzhou R&F number 25 added.

Samuel has scored 4 goals in 10 CSL games in the 2015 campaign.

• Samuel

Lobi beats Abia Warriors 2-0 in Makurdi

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OBI Stars beat Abia Warriors 2-0 at the Aper Aku Stadium after Terkaa Melai opener from the spot and Samson Gbadebo in the third and 34th minute handed them another vital facelift on the log.

They have now got 16 points from 14 matches.

Meanwhile, top officials of Lobi Stars led by Vice Chairman, Dominic Iorfa have paid their injured star, Ukeyima Akombo a visit at his country home to wish him a quick recovery from his injury.

Akombo, the Pride of

• Iorfa, other officials visit injured Akombo Benue striker has undergone a successful surgery on his broken left arm and Iorfa who is also the Technical Director of the Makurdi side and club's Team Manager, Barnabas Imenger went to visit the player to lift his spirit.

Imenger in a chat with explained why the club decided to visit Akombo:" It is in line with our club's policy of always standing

3SC holds FC Taraba • Obiozor

other items to the player.

Team Doctor, Chris Ayom after examine the player again confirmed that Akombo would be out for two months.

Club Team Manager, Imenger, described Akombo as a humble and very important player of the club adding that his experience would be greatly missed.

Enyimba wins to stay in touch with front runners

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HOOTING Stars Sports Club (3SC) have continued their surge up the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) table by picking an away draw at FC Taraba on Saturday.

Gbenga Ogunbote's men have now gone three games unbeaten since the former Sharks FC coach took over three weeks ago.

The game which ended 11 saw both sides give a good account of themselves at the Aper Aku Stadium adopted Makurdi home base of FC Taraba.

FC Taraba had the best chances in a goalless first half and deservedly took the lead in the 60th minute through Ivorian striker, Boris Konan.

Shooting Stars got into their strides in the second half and created their own chances through Ajani Ibrahim and Junior Ajayi.

The Ibadan side got a deserved equaliser when substitute Muyiwa Lawal rifled in a free kick with three minutes left of regulation time to earn a share of the spoils for 3SC. The result leaves FC Taraba winless in 12 matches and deep in relegation waters.

The game was the only Glo Premier League matchup on Saturday as hostilities resume on Sunday in different centres.

From Tunde Liadi,Owerri by our injured players and we have gone to see him to see the extend of his recuperation."

Iorfa prayed for the quick recovery of Akombo while enjoining him to be positive as this will aid the healing process.

The club's Vice chairman later supervised the giving of cash, beverages and

NYIMBA continued its impressive run as they remain unbeaten in the last seven games of the Nigeria league after they beat Nasarawa United 2-0 on Sunday in Aba. Enyimba now has 26 points from 14 games to go third on the table.

The last game Enyimba lost was in Week 7 when they lost 2-0 to Ifeanyi Ubah FC. Christian Obiozor opened the scoring with a superb volley to the roof of the net in the 12th minute of the game to give

goalkeeper Ibrahim Pius no chance.

In the 50th minute, Ifeanyi George doubled Enyimba lead.

In the 20th minute, Obiozor set up Chinonso Okonkwo for a goal, but he fired into Ibrahim Pius' waiting hands.

Five minutes later, Obiozor fell down inside the 18-yard box after he rounded the goalkeeper, but the referee did not give a penalty.

In the 29th minute, rampaging Obiozor again had his sight at goal, but he headed wide off Daniel Etor's cross.

IGERIA-BORN Fatai Alashe is enjoying his time at the MLS side San Jose Earthquakes receiving accolades from manager Dominic Kinnear and fellow teammates.

The former Michigan State midfielder Alashe was a fourth overall pick in the 2015 Super Draft and has been consistent in the team.

Coach Kinnear said Alashe has added value to the team since he joined them.

“All I can say, bottom line, is that I think we’re a better team with him on the field,” Kinnear remarked.

San Jose Earthquakes experienced midfielder Shea Salinas said they were not expecting Alashe to start well being a roookie, but he has since proven them wrong.

“We’d heard that he was a good player, kind of Ricardo Clark-like, but you never really can expect a whole lot from rookies because you just never know what they’re going to be like,” he revealed.

“But clearly, from the first preseason game he played, all of us knew that he was going to be a good player and a contributor.

“He’s just a calm presence in there, I think he finds good spaces to get the ball, and he

• Alashe

keeps it well for us. He’s been a big part of our team this year.”

Alashe needed no time in establishing himself as new coach Kinnear’s first choice as a classic No. 6 providing cover in front of San Jose’s backline.

Indeed, the Quakes dealt incumbent Sam Cronin just four days after picking up the 21-year-old with their highest draft pick since 2010.

To buttress his importance to the MLS side, the team requested for Alashe’s early release from the US U23 team who were competing in the Toulon Tournament in France, where he scored in USA 3-2 win over Costa Rica to win third place.

Roma, Genoa chase Sadiq Umar

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LLNIGERIASOCCER.COM understands that a clutch of Italian clubs are mulling over a summer move for highly - rated Spezia youngster Sadiq Umar.

The likes of Genoa and AS Roma have registered an interest in the 18 - year - old after he displayed his wares for the Primavera team of Spezia last season, with 26 goals in 24 games.

According to Sadiq Umar’s minders, Atalanta and Crotone are eyeing a move for the lanky striker, dubbed the next Nwankwo Kanu.

But unlike the skillful ex Inter Milan forward, the youngster is quicker and scores plenty of goals .

Sadiq Umar, who cut his footballing teeth with Future of Africa Academy, Kaduna, is under contract with The Little Eagles until 2017.

Biffo happy to end term on high

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IGER Tornadoes technical adviser, Abdul Usman Biffo has expressed satisfaction ending the Nigeria National League (NNL) Division A2 first stanza campaign at the summit.

Tornadoes out-muscled Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) 3-0 in the NNL match day 7 clash at the Bako Kontagora Memorial Stadium, Minna to end the first stanza unbeaten.

Striker, lliyasu Isyaku scored the match opener in the 17th minute, while last season goal king, Kayode Agboola converted a spot kick two minutes after to increase the goal haul to two and Wilfred Angel Ameh grabbed the match winner toward the dying minutes of the hotly contested encounter.

Biffo said his wards’ calmness and focus are largely responsible for the heartwarming and high performance in the first stanza.

“I’m happy with the performance of the boys in the diffi-

cult game against ABS. I charged them to be focused and result oriented and they acted exactly as instructed.

“I’m happy we ended the first stanza campaign on high and unbeaten.

“The players did not let me down even in the face of the most difficult challenges.

“It’s truly relishing to head into the first term break at the summit, we know we are not yet there as the second stanza will pose more challenges.

“Our dream is to grab the division lone promotion ticket and that calls for hard work.

“We are going to use the break to review our performance, correct any shortcoming in the first stanza aimed at returning to the trenches better and improved.

“I cannot stop to appreciate the supporters for their massive support to me since I teamed up with the side.

“I’m boosted by their implicit confidence and support and I’m challenged to go the extra mile

to meet their dreams and aspirations,” said the former Giwa FC coach to supersport.com.

The Minna-based side did not concede any goal after playing five matches in the first round of the league with two undecided games against Ranchers Bees and Sokoto United.

• Umar

Scramble for Plateau Utd top post after board sack

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• Biffo

EVERAL people including Plateau FA chairman Sunday Longbap and ex-youth international Danjuma Isandu are now jostling to lead Plateau United board, which has been dissolved by new Governor Simon Lalong.

Others who want to lead the Jos club are John Ladan and Ali Barde.

The club is currently being run on an interim basis by the secretary.

The management board of the Nigeria National League side has been headed by former Super Eagles ’ coach Bitrus Bewarang.

The Governor dissolved all the management boards of the state establishment and parastatal of which Plateau United is among.

The club has failed in its bid to return to the Nigerian top-flight league for five seasons now.

THE NATION MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015

63

TODAY IN THE NATION

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2015 TRUTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM

VOL 10 NO 3260

‘It amounts to chasing shadows to nurse the feeling that these salaries and allowances are the real avenues for fleecing the government. They only constitute legitimate and known sources. Nothing has been said of the illegitimate and unknown sources’ EMEKA OMEIHE

COMMENT & DEB ATE EBA

P

RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is caught in between love. Everyone wants to show they love him.

It is happening everywhere like an epidemic. The EFCC tries to show him love.

The NNPC is keeling over with that delicate emotion. The NTA is transmitting it in pictures and words.

Of course in politics, we see it in droves.

Bukola Saraki says he loves Buhari. The Owu chief, too, who clobbered him electorally and in snide comments would show only love now.

Atiku, the peripatetic harlot of Nigerian politics, who battled him with war chest after war venom is awash with PMB love.

The first show of love was the staff of Aso Rock who reported early to work in the spirit of the gangling hero of the day.

Soldiers in their high and peacock perches are saluting him in lusts of deference.

Let us not forget the walks, the advertorials, the politicians who now know that they only can swear by PMB. The ethnic titans, the religious zealots, the men cocooned in conspiracies against the man whom they thought had no chance to topple the simpering hero who now clucks in Otuoke.

We forget that not long ago, these same persons had the venoms of rhetoric against this man. This is the man who did not have the qualification in the Army.

He was the man who was too old, too groggy, too northern, too Muslim, too austere for the times.

Now, we see the love of Buhari. But the love comes in different incarnations. There are those who love in order to keep their jobs. See EFCC has suddenly woken as the moral avatar, dusting up all sorts of revanchist cases. If Buhari is the man who can change our moral tone, so let us go after the so-called bad guys. It does not matter that under Jonathan we only pretended except when we went after his enemies, like Timipre Sylva.

The NNPC felt the shadow of love. The pot of gold is the vault of lies. Many stories of fraud tenanted that institution. Buhari is aware. Fear flew in the halls, screamed in the files, boiled in our crude oil, scarred our ears. They wanted to show love, but how? This was one place that the phrase tough love had a new meaning. It was tough to lie about what was clear thieving of the national treasury.

Buhari knew about it and he took a first step and dissolved the board. The list of the board members told us what sort of men presided over the kleptomaniac bazaar of our resources.

RIPPLES

DON’T HANG CLOTHES ON BALCONIES –NGO tells Nigerians

POLICE BARRACKS, take note

SAM OMATSEYE

IN TOUCH

intouchnation@gmail.com 08054501081(sms only) Twitter: @samomatseye

•Winner, Informed Commentary (DAME)

To love and to hate

•President Buhari

Like the denizens of the DSS. No resources of wit to tap in order to show love.

Now the president does not want them near him, at least for now. But he will have to use them. In a democracy, the secret service is the fulcrum of security. He knows that. But he is confronting an irony. The bastion of love is the secret service for a leader. But it’s like what Shakespeare said in Romeo and Juliet, love has become the hate. The bard called it “fiend angelical.”

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, now says he loves the President. He says

he will work with the President. But he is at odds with the President’s directive and his party. He loves the President but humiliates his party. He benefited from a moral sewer of a process that installed him as president. He won a battle, and when his party with the President’s nod said he should conceded offices, he defied. Wasn’t that love, Saraki style?

He loves the President and he is lying that he gave up his ambition for Buhari as though we were not in this country when he bowed out of the race. He knew better than Atiku that he did not want the humiliation and disaster of primary defeat.

He bowed away from public disgrace, not for Buhari’s ambition. How does the PMB, whom he loves, implement his programmes when he, Saraki, cohabits with men who confess antipathy to the landlord of Aso Rock?

He worked with Atiku, the man who now wants to play bee to Buhari’s honey.

He spearheads mutiny so he can be the power Trojan of the APC. How does he explain his actions to his latest hero of today? That he undermines him in order to love him? If he loves him, he should tell his co-conspirator Saraki to yield to the party rule. Both are fair-weather men.

They have always been. Within the PDP, or outside. As for Atiku, he never saw an opportunity of self-aggrandisement he did not embrace, even if it meant kissing Lucifer.

As for the Owu chief, we saw him make a colourful act of tearing his PDP card in

HARDBALL

T

HE title of this piece is actually: “A billion “Okon’s” toothpicks for the folks at CBN” but newspaper headlines don’t often lend themselves fully to the whims and mischief of writers. That is why you have this abridged version. But never mind; nothing spoil as we say out there on the streets. The gist is why Hardball is so magnanimous to award a billion toothpicks to CBN and indeed, which one be Okon’s toothpicks?

Good questions. First, Okon’s toothpicks: a great friend of Hardball’s told the joke long ago. A certain Madam had asked his houseboy why the toothpicks in the house always got depleted so fast and Okon had answered: “Madam, it’s junior who wastes the toothpicks, I, Okon always put them back in the pack after use!”

Well, no one was around to tell how Madam reacted upon this revelation but that marked the birth of Okon’s toothpicks. And Hardball hereby awards one billion of Okon’s toothpicks for our gallant folks at our apex money house, Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. This award, coming from the fullness of heart of Hardball is in recognition of CBN’s courage, wisdom and promptitude in refusing to keep doling out dol-

A billion toothpicks for CBN lars to ‘crazy’ importers to ship in tiny, little sticks.

To think that Nigeria can supply the entire world with wood-stick toothpicks and to think that with Okon’s environmentally friendly renewable method, a man could use a toothpick for an entire lifetime. Why then would our CBN contemplate, not to talk of condone the release of our hard-earned hard currency to ship in tiny, little pieces of wood from across many seas.

Poor Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the CBN chief has been rather triumphant since Tuesday when the apex bank announced this earth-shaking no-officialforex-for-toothpicks-policy. According to CBN, it had become imperative to exclude some importers of some goods and services from accessing foreign exchange at the Nigerian foreign exchange market in order to encourage local production of these items.

Wow, great, that must have taken some timing, some doing and some thinking of course. Hardball understands items on the exclusion list like

public. I hope we do not see, in the near future, another enactment of return. He would brandish a new card as the prodigal come home in a flourish. He did not tear PDP in his heart. He worked, in underhand shadows, with PDP men and Atiku to undermine Buhari. They plotted to make PMB’s early days a tempest. Is that not love, the Ota way? We know how he showed love in the past. Dance with the man’s wife today, oust him tomorrow.

Dine pounded yam today, his office dies tomorrow. Remember Okadigbo, Ogbeh, etc.

PMB will be taking a class in love these days with Judas’ silhouette in the background. He must feel special now that all those who knew him as enemy now bedeck him as the emblem of affection.

He reminds me of a character in the most ambitious of all novels, War and Peace. Leo Tolstoy’s character was mocked all the time. No one laughed at his joke.

He did not belong to the royal class. He was adopted by one of the mainstays of the upper class. He was renounced in love and society. But suddenly he came into a big inheritance. Suddenly Pierre was the most sought after in Russian society, anything he did made men cringe and any joke made them laugh. They craved the largesse of his purse if they sneered secretly at the large heart it came from. His new power became a lesson in understanding people. He eventually knew who loved him and who did not, but he learned later that the world was full of love, if in counterfeit expressions.

United States President Harry Truman once said that if you wanted a friend in Washington, “buy a dog.”

Graham Greene, in a short novel, titled the Third Man, shows how a man can be two at the same time. A man is buried supposedly and all mourn him as this great guy. But he is killed eventually after his lover knew him to be a fraud, the police know him to be a liar and his best friend know him to be a traitor. He dies once but mourned twice. The first fake burial calls him hero. The second knows him as villain.

So, Buhari will worry who is real or fake among those brandishing love. But the real lovers are those who voted and who fought for him when he was mocked as a gangling zealot of tribe and faith.

•Hardball is not the opinion of the columnist featured above private jet and rice. But any man who ships little sticks from Oyinboland to the woodlands of Africa and he who aids and abets such act; should they not be examined thoroughly whether they suffer extended and un-extenuated psychocognitive deficiencies?

Hardball understands even CBN’s understanding of the importation of stuff like Indian incense, palm kernel, palm oil, vegetable oil, chickens, eggs, tomato paste, soaps, wheelbarrows, head pans, etc. Hardball is full of understanding. Indian incense must be an essential ingredient our teeming marabouts use in preparing potent preparations for our leaders. One must therefore be a bit self-annihilistic to obstruct such a product in high demand by the Brahmins.

Hardball understands again, Mr. Emefiele’s temerity to tamper with private jets now. He would never have dared a few weeks ago. The times truly are changing indeed. But the aspect Hardball would never understand or live down is the thought that a country known as Nigeria and her CBN and her entire people would ship out dollars and ship in little pieces of wood (for picking our mostly yellow teeth) in this 2015 age! Simply preposterous!

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